Save Me
by Ractre1127
Summary: Bad boy Jace is always getting into trouble, but that changes when he meets Clary Fray who is sick and dying. Jace vows to make every teenage experience happen for her before her time is up. This is a sweet love story where the characters are OOC and are owned by Cassandra Clare.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello people! It's been a while since I've posted anything and I hope I don't disappoint with this story. This story probably won't be as long as my other story but we'll see. This story is also more angsty (is that even a word?) than I usually write. I don't own anything except my ideas in my head. I hope you enjoy!**

**Chapter 1:**

**_Chapter Songs:_**

_Wings by Birdy_

_Little House by Amanda Seyfried_

_Where the Road Meets the Sun by Katie Herzig &amp; Matthew Perryman Jones_

**Clary:**

"Well, Clary….I'm afraid I have some bad news. One kidney has completely failed and the other one is not going to last long on its own. We're going to have to send you to live at a facility that will provide you with the medical attention you're going to need until a match can be found and a transplant can be scheduled. I'm so sorry." Dr Branwell informs my mother and me.

I sigh and tune the rest of the conversation out. My kidneys have been a problem all of my life. We always knew my kidneys would not hold out forever and a transplant would be needed. For the last year, I have come here every 4 weeks to get checked out and get my medications adjusted. My health has progressively gotten worse each time I come. I see my mother look over at me and stand up. She has tears in her eyes and I have to look away from her. I can't stand the thought of leaving her. I've come to terms with my imminent death, but it's just us and I don't want her to be alone. She puts her arm around me and we walk out of Dr. Branwell's office.

"Don't you worry, honey. We'll find a donor and everything will be alright." she says smiling sadly. I just nod and get in the car. We drive home in silence and when we get home, my mom turns to me and takes my hand.

"We need to pack you some things and I'll drive you over to the institute Dr. Branwell was talking about. The good thing is, it's not like a hospital. It's more like a house. It has an outside garden area and a music room, a game room, and a place for all the residents to eat together. And it's only a few miles from here. I'll come see you every day. Luke will come too." mom says trying to make this situation better.

I decide not to be bitter about this. I mean what's the point anyway? I smile at my mom and squeeze her hand.

"It sounds great mom. When are you and Luke going to admit your feelings for each other and start dating already?" I tease.

"We're just friends, Clary. Come on. Let's get you packed. As much as I don't want you going anywhere, they're expecting us soon." she explains as we get out of the car and go in to my house to pack my things.

Thirty minutes later, we're back in the car driving to the place I will call home indefinitely. We pull up to a large building called The Institute. _How original._ My mom parks in front of the doors and two men in scrubs come out to get my bags. They lead us inside and have us sit in a room right inside the door. My mom sits beside me and pats my knee. A few minutes later, a tall, slender women with dark brown hair wrapped in a bun at the base of her neck walks in with a gentle smile.

"Hello. You must be the Fray's. I'm Maryse and I run The Institute." the woman – Maryse, greets and holds her hand out to my mother. My mom stands and takes Maryse's hand and shakes it.

"I'm Jocelyn and this is my daughter, Clarissa." my mom introduces me and I fight to roll my eyes at the use of my full name. I hate it.

"Clarissa, it's nice to meet you. I'll show you your room and let you get settled in." she says while shaking my hand.

"Please call me Clary. I don't really care for Clarissa." I state scrunching my nose at the name.

Maryse laughs and mom glares at me. "Of course, dear. Right this way." Smiling, she leads us to my new room.

On the way, she points out different rooms and informs me what's in them. She comes to a door near the end of a long hallway and pushes it open. It's not too big but the bed looks comfortable and the best thing is the window seat overlooking the garden. I also have an in suite bathroom so I don't have to cart around toiletries with me every time. I smile at my mom and Maryse.

"This is really nice. Thank you." I say and go over to my bags and begin to unpack them. Maryse and my mom leave to discuss my treatment plan. Once everything is put away, I grab my sketchbook and sit down in the window seat and start to draw. A little while later, mom comes in to tell me good-bye.

"I guess it's time for me to go, honey. Maryse wanted me to tell you dinner will be ready soon. I love you and everything will work out, you'll see." Mom says sniffing. She wraps her arms around me and holds me for a minute before letting go and backing out of the room. At the door, she turns back to me and gives me a small sad smile.

"I'll be fine here, mom. Go. I'll see you tomorrow." I say trying to fight back the tears I feel coming.

"Bye, honey." And then she's gone. I take a deep breath and decide against dinner and change into my pajamas. Climbing into bed, I plug my earbuds into my ipod and fall asleep.

~o.O.o~

**Jace:**

"You are sentenced to three weeks community service. Case dismissed." the judge bellows out and slams the gavel down before exiting the courtroom. I sigh and stand up and face my adopted father who is also my lawyer. He sits there pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Jace. I hope you understand how lucky you just got. Next time will be jail and I will not help you. This is the last time I will put my ass on the line for you. You have got to learn to control your temper and stop with the fighting." He stands up abruptly making the chair scrape across the floor. I follow him out and get in the passenger seat.

"I'm sorry, dad. It won't happen again." I try to apologize, but he's not buying it.

"That's what you say every time." he sighs.

"I mean it this time. I don't want to go to jail and put you and mom through this. I'll do better this time, I swear." I plead as he pulls up in front of the institute my mom currently runs. My community service is working here with the patients - or residents, as my mom calls them, and help out wherever I'm needed. It could be worse and it's only for three weeks. I can handle this for that long I think. I get out of the car and go inside to mom's office. I knock on her door and hear her say come in.

"Ah, Jace. I hear you got community service hours to fulfill and you chose to do them here." I nod my head and she continues. "Just so you know, I'm not happy about this. I don't know where we went wrong. I thought we were providing you a good, stable home. We tried to make you feel like part of this family. I tried to treat you exactly like I treat Alec and Isabelle, but I guess I was wrong."

I lower my head and try to figure out something to say. I don't want them to think that. They've been so good to me and I feel horrible about my behavior. "I'm so sorry, mom. You and dad are the best parents. I promise this won't happen again. I know I've said that before but I swear it won't."

"Okay, Jace. Just go check on the residents and see if they need anything. We'll talk later." mom says tiredly. I nod and turn around and walk out of her office feeling like a total loser.

I walk down the resident's hall and check on each one. When I get to a door near the end of the hall, I hear a guitar and a soft voice singing.

**_I love this place, but it's haunted without you._**

**_My tired heart is beating so, slow._**

The door is cracked open and I peer inside to see a girl around my age sitting in the window seat, strumming the guitar and singing. I don't think I've ever seen someone so young here before. All of the other residents are much older than this.

**_To light the night,_**

**_To help us grow, to help us grow_**

**_It is not said, I always know._**

I stand there mesmerized by her voice. I study this girl. She has really long red hair that hangs in big soft looking curls down her back. She sits in the window seat with one leg tucked under her while playing the guitar in her lap. I can only see the side of her face but from what I can tell, she is very pretty.

**_You can catch me, don't you run._**

**_Don't you run._**

**_If you live another day, in this happy little house, the fire's here to stay._**

**_To light the night,_**

**_To help us grow, to help us grow_**

**_It is not said, I always know._**

**_Please don't make a fuss, it won't go away. _**

**_The wonder of it all, the wonder that I made,_**

**_I am here to stay._**

**_I am here to stay._**

**_Stay._**

She finishes her song and turns toward where I'm standing. When she sees me, she gasps.

"Oh! I'm sorry! I took the guitar from the music room. I was going to bring it right back." she quickly explains. Her eyes are so green. They look like shining emeralds. I find it hard not to stare into them.

"Uh….I'm not here about the guitar." I lamely reply.

"Oh." She looks confused, her eyebrows pulling together.

"I'm Jace and my mom runs the place and she asked me to check on the residents to see if they need anything. So, um, do you need anything?"

"Actually, I could use another blanket on my bed. I got really cold last night." she says and smiles shyly at me.

"Sure. I'll be right back." I back out of the room and sprint down the hall to the supply room. I grab a big blanket from the shelf and run back to her room. "Here you are." I say as I come back in the room.

She comes over to me and I notice how short she is. She takes the blanket from my hands and walks over to the bed and starts unfolding it. I walk over to the other side of the bed and help her spread it out.

"Thank you. I think I'll be warm and toasty tonight." she says smiling brightly. "I'm Clary, by the way."

"It's nice to meet you Clary." I reply with a genuine smile, not a smirk like I usually give. For some reason, I don't want her to know me like that. "So how long have you been here?"

"Oh, just one day. I came last night. Do you work here?" she asks as she goes and picks up the guitar and sets it on her bed.

"No, but I'll be here for a few weeks." I clear my throat and sit down at the desk in the corner.

"Cool. Hopefully I'll see you around. Everyone else around here is at least twenty years older than me. It'd be nice to talk to someone closer to my age from time to time." she smiles and sits down in the window seat near me.

"How long are you here for?" I ask hoping not to upset her. I know she's sick or she wouldn't be here.

"I dunno." she says with a shrug. "I need a kidney transplant fairly soon, but they're having a hard time finding a match for me. So….I'll be here until I get a transplant or my kidney fails like the other one." she says this like she's commenting on the weather. So calm.

"I'm sure they'll find you one soon." I say trying to be optimistic for her. She just nods and smiles. We spend about an hour talking and laughing together and I find myself really enjoying her company. Maybe my time here won't be so bad if I get to hang out with Clary.

"It's time for dinner. Maryse got upset with me for skipping dinner last night so she made sure I didn't skip any meals today. Do you want to come with me? I'll take the guitar back to the music room on the way." she asks as she grabs the guitar and heads out the door. I scramble out of the chair and follow her.

"Yeah, I'll come with you." I say as we walk down the hall side by side. After taking the guitar back to the music room, we walk into the dining room and see everyone sitting down to their meals. I see my mom look up at us and walk over.

"I was just about to come and get you, Clary. I see you've met my son, Jace." my mom says smiling lovingly at Clary.

Clary glances over at me and smiles. "Yes, Jace has been nice to talk to this afternoon. I've enjoyed his company."

"That's great. Oh, your mom called and she wanted me to tell you she's sorry about not being able to visit today. She'll make it up to you tomorrow." mom informs Clary.

"Thanks, but I was fine. I keep telling her she doesn't have to come here every day. I want her to live her life and be happy. It just makes her sad to be around me." Clary says biting the inside of her mouth and looking down at her feet. Seeing her do this makes me want to wrap her up in my arms and make her feel better.

"Clary-" mom starts but is cut off by Clary.

"I know. She just wants to spend as much time with me as she can before it happens. Why don't we go sit down and eat?" And with that Clary walks over to an empty table and sits down. I look at my mom and see her staring after Clary with worry evident in her eyes.

"Mom?" She looks back at me and gives me a small smile.

"Clary said you're having trouble finding a match. I was just wondering why it's so hard?" I ask glancing over at Clary and back to my mom.

She sighs. "Clary has a very rare blood type. We just can't seem to find someone who's a match for her. One kidney has already completely failed and if I don't find a match soon, the other one will fail as well."

Mom looks back at Clary and with a defeated look, she walks back to her office. I look over at Clary and make my way to her. I sit down across from her and smile. We eat and talk about everything and nothing. When it's time for her to head back to her room, I walk with her. We stop outside her door and she turns and looks at me.

"Thank you for hanging out with me today. I don't have anyone my age to just sit around and talk to, you know?" she says with a sigh.

"None of your friends from school will come and see you?" I can't help but ask.

She shakes her head. "I haven't been to school in a long time. I've been home-schooled due to my frequent trips in and out of the hospital over the years. I don't even know what the inside of a high school looks like. I mean, if I was a normal, healthy teenager, I would be in the eleventh grade and driving and maybe even play a sport or join a club or something." She shrugs her small shoulders and looks up at me. "Sorry. These are just some of the things I dream about. They probably seem silly to you."

"Not at all. Everyone should get to experience those things. Maybe those dreams will come true for you one day." I say wishing I could make them come true for her.

"Maybe." she says with a small smile. "I should probably let you leave now. Thanks again for today."

"I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" I hope she wants to see me again.

"Okay. Goodnight, Jace." she says as she opens her door.

"Goodnight, Clary." I say softly and watch her go inside and close the door. I stare at her door for a second and then turn back down the hall. My house is right next door to the institute, so I walk home.

When I get there I run into Isabelle, lost in thought.

"Excuse me, Jace! Don't let me get in your way or anything." she says sarcastically. I look up at her.

"Sorry. I didn't see you there." I reply back and go around her toward my room.

"Jace? Are you alright?" she asks with worry in her voice.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Why?"

"Well, you didn't smart off to me. What's wrong?" she asks, studying me intently.

I sigh and run my hands through my hair. "Would you do something for me?" I ask suddenly thinking of an idea.

"Sure. What is it?" Isabelle asks me with curiosity burning in her eyes. I never ask her for anything and she knows it.

"Will you come by the institute tomorrow and meet someone? I think you'll really like her. She's very easy to talk to and she would love to hang out with people our age." I explain.

Isabelle narrows her eyes at me. "Who is she and why are you doing this for her?"

I look down and think about Clary. How unfair her life is and how short it could be. "I just want her to experience things a normal teenager would. She might not get the chance to do them. I don't know Iz, I just want to see her happy. I can't explain it." I say honestly.

She stares at me for a while and then agrees to meet Clary. I smile widely at her and hug her.

"Thank you. We'll go together after school." With that, I turn and walk to my room and fall asleep thinking of ways I can make things better for Clary.

**So there's the first chapter! Let me know what you think and if I should continue with this storyline. Also thank you to m1129 for your encouragement to post this story.**

**Please review!**

**Until next time. . . .**


	2. Chapter 2

**First of all, I wanted to say thank you for all of the reviews I have received so far. They really mean a lot to me. For some reason, I am unable to respond to reviews because I can't see them but I am getting email notifications that reviews are being left. Weird! Secondly, I want to say that this is a fiction story and I really have no idea of the medical aspects of this story other than what I have researched on the internet and we all know how reliable some of that information can be. Anyway...on to the chapter. Enjoy!**

**All characters and music are not mine!**

**Chapter 2:**

**_Chapter Songs:_**

_All We Are by Matt Nathanson_

_Driveway by Great Northern_

_Hey Now by Augustana_

_Echo by Jason Walker_

**Clary:**

After getting dressed for the day, I walk down to breakfast and I'm surprised to see my mom waiting for me.

"Hi, mom! What are you doing here so early?" I ask giving her a hug and sitting down across from her.

"My schedule is preventing me from coming later, so I'll be coming to eat and I'll sit with you while you get your daily treatment. Are you okay being here?" mom asks me as we begin eating our breakfast.

"Yeah. Maryse's son came by yesterday and we hung out. He's my age or close to it anyway. I enjoyed talking with him. He's supposed to come back today but I don't know." I say with a shrug. Mom doesn't say anything but just looks at me for a second. After we eat, we join Maryse for my treatment. We spend the time talking, mom telling me about the art store and adding classes that she'll be teaching. After she leaves, I go up in my room and lie down for a while, listening to my IPod. Before I know it, I close my eyes and drift off to sleep.

~o.O.o~

**Jace:**

Isabelle and I walk into the institute and I lead the way down the resident's hall. I stop in front of Clary's room and see her door cracked.

"Hey, wait out here for a second and I'll call you in." I tell her. She gives me a speculative look and then nods her head.

I slip in the door and see her lying on the bed sleeping peacefully. I slowly walk up to the side of the bed, never taking my eyes off of her. I have never seen someone so beautiful in all my life. I take a deep breath and gently run the tips of my fingers across her face. She stirs and her eyes flutter open. She locks her eyes with mine.

"Jace. . . ." she whispers and I have to swallow the lump in my throat from hearing her whisper my name. I smile at her and kneel down beside her, folding my arms on the side of the bed and resting my chin on them.

"Are you okay?" I ask softly.

She smiles back at me. Her green eyes shining. "Yeah. The treatment I got this morning made me tired." Her voice just barely above a whisper.

"Were you alone during the treatment?" I ask worried about her going through them by herself.

She shakes her head. "My mom will be staying for them and then she has to go to work afterwards. And of course, your mom was there." she smiles.

I glance at the door and turn back to Clary. "I brought someone I'd like you to meet. I think you'll like her."

She furrows her eyebrows a little and a look flashes in her eyes but is quickly replaced with curiosity. She sits up and pats her fiery red hair down and smooth's her shirt down.

"Don't worry, you look beautiful." I spit out without thinking. I feel the heat in my face and quickly call out for Isabelle. I notice Clary's face is slightly flushed as well.

Isabelle comes in and smiles warmly at Clary.

"Clary, this is my sister, Isabelle. Iz, this is Clary." I introduce. I look at Clary and she looks relieved for some reason.

"Hi, Clary. It's so nice to meet you. Jace told me all about you." Isabelle says and shakes Clary's hand.

"It's nice to meet you too. I can definitely see a resemblance to your mother." Clary says with a shy smile, glancing at me and then back to Isabelle.

I sit on the bed across from Clary and Isabelle sits beside me on the other side of the bed. We talk for a long time getting to know each other. I find myself becoming more and more attached to this incredible red head in front of me.

"Why don't we go sit outside and get some fresh air? Clary are you up for that?" I ask. She nods her head and I reach over and offer her my hand. She takes it and I'm almost overcome with the heat radiating from her. I reluctantly let go and the three of us walk out to the garden.

"Isabelle, can you go see mom and tell her I'm here and I'll be in there in a few minutes to check in with her?" I ask turning away from Clary to look at my sister.

She gives me a smug look and agrees. She walks toward my mom's office and I turn back to Clary and smile. We continue on to the garden. We sit on a bench that overlooks the park that sits behind the institute. Isabelle joins us a few minutes later.

"I'll be back in a little while. I need to go see my mom." I say to Clary. She smiles and nods and turns back to Isabelle, who is getting out different color nail polish for Clary to choose from. I walk out of the garden but just before I turn the corner, I look back and smile watching my sister and Clary laugh at something. I continue on to mom's office. I knock lightly on the door and hear her tell me to come in.

"Hey, mom. I'm here. What would you like me to do today?" I ask as I come in.

"Jace, just a minute, please. I don't know how to say this without it coming out harsh. I'm worried you're getting too attached to Clary. I don't want you to go through the pain of losing someone you care about again. I just. . . .I don't know how long she has." mom says sadly.

I close my eyes for a second and then open them to stare directly in my mother's eyes. "I appreciate your concern for me, but I'm not going to let Clary go through this alone. I know she has her mother but that's not enough. Did you know she's never had any friends to hang out with because she's been home schooled for the last several years? I want her to experience being a teenager while she can. That's why I brought Izzy with me today. Right now, Clary is getting her nails painted and laughing with a girl her age and she's so happy, mom. I'm going to do whatever I can to make her as happy as possible. I know you're worried about me getting hurt, but I want to do this for her. I don't know what it is about her, but she makes me want to be a better person and just knowing her for whatever time I have with her, makes me incredibly lucky."

"Wow, Jace. I don't know what to say. I'll do everything I can to find a donor. Go on out there with Clary." she says standing up and walking over to me. She hugs me and I turn toward the door. "And Jace?" I turn back around to look at my mom. "I love you."

"I love you, too, mom." I smile at her and hurry back to Clary and Isabelle.

~o.O.o~

**Clary:**

As Jace leaves me with Isabelle, I notice her getting several different bottles of nail polish out of her bag. I raise my eyebrows at her and she smiles.

"Pick a color. I'm giving you a mani/pedi." she says happily. I look through the bottles and pick a golden color with shimmery glitter in it. The color reminds me of Jace for some reason. My cheeks heat up thinking about him.

"I like this one." I say handing her the bottle.

"Good choice." She takes the bottle from me and begins filing and buffing my nails, talking about this and that. A shriek sounds from the park and we both look over there. A group of kids about out age are playing around and laughing. I stare at them for a minute wishing that was me.

"Does that make you sad?" Isabelle asks softly, bringing me out of my thoughts.

"What?"

"Does it make you sad seeing them and being here without your friends?" she asks bluntly.

"Oh. Not really sad. I don't have any friends so I don't have anything to miss, you know? I would lying if I said sometimes I don't think about what my life might be like if I could go to school and do normal teenage things, like playing around in the park." I say pointing over to the park. "But it doesn't make me sad, just makes me wonder."

Isabelle studies me for a minute. "You know what? I'm going to introduce you to my friends. I think you'll like them. How about Friday after school? I'll bring my boyfriend Simon. He's such a nerd, but he's my nerd. Magnus is my best friend and he is dating my brother Alec. They're both seniors. I'll bring both of them, too. And Maia and her boyfriend Jordan. These are the people I hang out with all the time. And Jace, of course. We're all juniors."

"You don't have to do that, Isabelle." I say, hating people feeling sorry for me.

"I want to. Magnus is going to love you, with your red hair full of curls! I would love to come over one day and style you up. I would love to be a stylist one day. I love making people beautiful and seeing their face when they see themselves after I get through with them!" Isabelle goes on and on. I just sit back and listen and smile. Not long after Isabelle starts on my toes, Jace returns.

"That was fast. Does mom know you're choosing to hang out with us instead of fulfilling your community service duties? Isabelle asks Jace as he comes and sits down beside me.

I look over at him and see him roll his eyes. "Yes, she knows. So, how's everything out here?" he asks me smiling brightly.

"Great." I say holding my hands up so Jace can see my freshly painted nails. "Isabelle's been telling me about her friends. They sound really nice."

"Yep. I'm bringing them over on Friday. We can order a pizza and hang out in the gazebo and play games." Isabelle enthusiastically says. I can't help but laugh at her enthusiasm. I glance at Jace and see him looking at me with a smile on his face. I smile back at him and look back down at my toes.

"There you go! All done. Unfortunately, I have some homework to do, so I need to get going. Clary it was so nice to meet you." she says gathering her things and giving me a hug. "I'll stop by tomorrow to see you for a little while on the way home."

"Thanks for everything, Isabelle. I had a lot of fun. See you tomorrow." I wave and then she's gone. I look over at Jace.

"Your sister is a big ball of energy. Thanks for introducing us." I smile shyly at him.

"I knew you two would get along great. I'm glad you had fun with her. What would you like to do now?"

"I don't know. . . . Can I ask you something?" I ask furrowing my eyebrows. He nods his head. "You know when Isabelle said something about you fulfilling your community service duties?" Jace nods again. "What did she mean?"

"I'm not proud of my behavior, but I got into a fight and was arrested. It was my second offense, and my dad convinced the judge to give me community service. I chose to do it here. I was given three weeks to get all my hours' in." he explains.

"Oh, Jace, you shouldn't be spending all of your time with me. I don't want you to get in trouble." I say worriedly.

He smiles and takes my hand. I can't help noticing the way his hand feels in mine. "It's okay, Clary. I'm not going to get in trouble, I promise. I like spending time with you. I'm actually glad I got community service. If I didn't, I wouldn't have met you." he says. His eyes bore into mine and I feel my face heat up.

"I'm glad I met you, too. You're the first real friend I've had in a long time." I say shyly. "I think I just want to stay out here for a while. I love it out here. It's so pretty and peaceful."

We spend the rest of the evening outside in the garden and enjoy eating dinner together and just like the night before, Jace walks me to my door.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Clary. Goodnight." And then he leans down and kisses my cheek and walks down the hall. I let out the breath I was holding and watch him disappear. Shaking my head, I go inside and look at myself in the mirror. My face is heated and my eyes are bright. I touch my cheek with my fingertips. I cannot let myself feel anything other than friendship for Jace. And for the first time since I got really sick, I feel anger because I can't experience a crush or entertain the thought of having a boyfriend. I sigh and change clothes and climb into bed. A few tears slip out of my eyes as I fall into darkness.

~o.O.o~

**Jace:**

I've spent every day this week with Clary from the time I get home from school until she goes to bed. I notice a slight change in her but I can't figure out what it is. Each night I kiss her on the cheek, but wanting so much more. I'm falling hard for her and as much I've tried not to, I can't help it. She's so amazing. I get to the institute before Isabelle and our friends so I can see Clary before everyone gets here. I find her coming out of her room with her sketchpad and pencils.

"Oh! Jace! I wasn't expecting you so soon. I thought Isabelle said after 5." she says with her eyebrows scrunched together. She looks so cute when she does that.

"She did, but I wanted to steal you before everyone got here." I say with a grin. She grins back and we walk to the garden, her favorite place.

"I was going to sit out here and draw until everyone got here. I think I'll draw you if you don't mind." she says shyly looking down and then back up at me.

"Sure. You can draw me anytime you want." I say grabbing her hand because I can't help touching her when I can. We get to a bench and she tells me to sit down while she sits on the ground in front of me. She stares at me for a minute and then begins drawing, looking at me every now and then.

I take this opportunity to really study her. I notice the gold embedded in her fiery red hair, the coppery lashes against her creamy skin, how she bites her full, soft lips while she concentrates on her drawing. She is breathtakingly beautiful and she doesn't even know it. She looks up at me and smiles.

"All done! You wanna see?" she asks as she gets up to sit beside me. I look down at the drawing and suck in a sharp breath. It is absolutely incredible.

"My God, Clary. It's amazing." I look at her. She's admiring her picture and smiling. "Do you think you could draw yourself sitting beside me?"

"You want me in the picture with you?" she asks looking up at me with wide eyes.

"Yeah. I would like you to be right here." I say pointing to the picture. "And I want to keep it."

She stares at me for a second and then starts drawing herself in the picture. When she's done she shows it to me again and I smile at it.

"There, now it's perfect." I say smiling at her. She smiles back and we get lost in each other's eyes. I want to lean in and kiss her so bad and I think I might just do that when I hear my sister.

"There you two are!"

Clary blinks several times and turns toward Isabelle and stands up. I shake my head and stand up beside her.

"Clary! This is my brother, Alec and his boyfriend Magnus." Izzy introduces.

"It's so nice to meet you Clary darling!" Magnus says taking Clary's hand and kissing it. She giggles a little and I smile.

"And this is my friend Maia and her boyfriend, Jordan." Izzy continues with the introductions.

"Hi, Clary." Maia says and shakes her hand, as does Jordan.

"And this is my boyfriend, Simon."

Hello, Clary. Izzy's told us all about you. It's nice to meet you." Simon says shaking Clary's hand as well.

"It's nice to meet you all, too. Isabelle has told me about you all, too." Clary says shyly. I step up beside her and she looks up at me. I smile and she seems to relax a little. Isabelle takes charge and we follow her to gazebo. Isabelle and Magnus take Clary and begin talking to her about the upcoming prom at school and shopping. I sit down and watch her interact with everyone. After a while, Alec comes and sits down beside me.

"Hey little brother. How's it going?" he asks.

"Fine." I say not taking my eyes off of Clary. I notice Alec staring at me and I turn to look at him. "What?"

He shakes his head with a small smile. "You've got it bad for her, don't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." I say trying to sound convincing.

"Don't lie to me, Jace. I know you better than you think I do."

I look at Clary and sigh. "Yeah, I do. And I know I shouldn't, but she's just. . . .I don't know, she makes me a better person. My head is telling me not to feel this way because she's sick and may not be here for long, but my heart is telling me not to care because she deserves someone to love her while she's here. I just don't know which one to listen to."

"Wow. I just thought you liked her. I didn't know you loved her already." Alec says and I realize I did admit that I loved her.

"I didn't really know I did until just now."

We sit in silence for a while. Clary laughs at something Magnus and says and locks eyes with me. She smiles and I make a decision. I will love her with everything I have. I won't fight it anymore. I don't care if I get hurt. She's worth it.

After everyone leaves, I walk Clary back to her room. She opens her door and looks at me.

"Would you like to come in for a minute?" she asks and walks in. I follow her inside and sit beside her on the bed.

"I can definitely see a resemblance in Alec and Isabelle to your mom. You must look like your dad." she says as she scoots up against the headboard.

"No. I was adopted." I look down at her and decide to tell her my story. "My parents were killed in a car wreck when I was six. The Lightwoods became my foster parents because Maryse was friends with my social worker and since she had children close to my age, she thought I would feel more at home with them. A year after I came to live with them, they adopted me."

Clary takes all that in for a second. "That story is both sad and happy. Sad because of what happened to your parents, but happy that you were given a good family that loves you and takes care of you." she says and gives my hand a squeeze.

"What about you? What's your story?" I ask.

"Well, my mom was dating this guy in college and when she got pregnant with me, he split, saying he never wanted children. So my mom raised me by herself. My sperm donor contacted her when I was about five or six and told her he was wrong to do that to her and that he was married and had a son. After having his son, he realized his mistakes and wanted to have a relationship with me. My mom told him to fuck off and never contact us again, so he didn't." she says casually. "My mom means everything to me. It was so hard for her to raise me alone especially with my kidneys like they were. I was born premature and my kidneys weren't fully developed. One was much smaller than the other one. That's the one that has completely failed. My mom was told by multiple doctors that I would never make it to adulthood. It looks like they may be right. I turn seventeen next Saturday. I don't think I'll make it another year."

I swallow the lump in my throat after hearing her talk about not making it and focus on the fact that her birthday is coming up. "Next Saturday is your birthday, huh? Well I may just have to plan something special for the occasion." I tell her and she smiles up at me.

"Oh really? What do you have in mind?" she asks with her eyes gleaming with happiness right now.

"You'll just have to wait and find out." I reply. She smiles brightly and then yawns. "I should let you get some sleep." I move to get up but she grabs my hand.

"Would you read to me until I fall asleep?"

"Of course. What do you want me to read?" I sit back down on the bed.

She grabs a book on the window seat. "I'm going to change clothes. I'll be right back." she says handing me the book and walking into her bathroom. I look down at the book in my hands. A Tale of Two Cities. I smile at this. She likes the classics, just like me. A few seconds later, she comes out and she looks so cute in her pajamas. She climbs in the bed beside me and I cover her up with the blankets.

"This is one of my favorites." I say gesturing to the book. She looks shocked at first and then smiles brightly.

"Really? I've read it so many times, I think I could recite it." she says as she snuggles in the covers.

"Me, too. You get comfortable and I'll turn off the light and leave the lamp on, okay?" I ask as I get up to turn off the light. I sit back beside her and rest against the headboard. I begin reading and out of the corner of my eye, I see Clary studying me. I smile and keep reading. It's not long into the book that I hear Clary's breathing even out. I look down at her and see she's sleeping peacefully. Her red curls splayed out over the pillow. I place the book on the bedside table, take a piece of paper from her sketchpad and scribble her a note.

_Clary,_

_I hope you had a good night's sleep. You looked so peaceful when I left. I'll be back to spend the day with you. _

_See you soon,_

_Jace_

I place the note on top of the book and look down at her lying there. I lean over and kiss her on the cheek but I get closer to the corner of her mouth. A shiver makes its way down my spine and I turn off the lamp and leave her room. Just being that close to her lips makes me crazy. Oh, hell!

**Oh hell indeed! Thanks for reading and if you love Four and Tris, you should check out my girl m1129. Her story A New Life in Portland is AWESOME! :)**

**Review and until next time. . . .**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi everyone! I wanted to say thank you so much for all of the awesome reviews I have been getting. They are amazing and encouraging and I really appreciate them. This chapter finished a little earlier than I expected, but I can't promise more than one update a week. Anyway - on to the update!**

**Remember: I don't own these awesome characters or the music.**

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter 3:**

**_Chapter Songs:_**

_Ride by Cary Brothers_

_In My Veins by Andrew Belle_

_Carried Away by Passion Pit_

_When the Stars go Blue by The Corrs &amp; Bono (**Jace-bold,**Clary-Italics, **Both singing together-bold &amp;**_** italics**)

**Jace:**

I wake up and quickly shower and dress. I jog down the stairs and make my way into the kitchen for a cup of coffee. When I walk in, I see Isabelle dressed already.

"You're up early for a Saturday. What's up?" I note looking over at her.

"Shopping with Magnus for prom next Saturday. I haven't even asked who you're taking." she says throwing away the rest of her breakfast in the trash.

"I'm not going to prom." I reply firmly.

"What? Why not? It's our first one, Jace!" she whines.

"Well, for one thing, there's no one at school I care to go with and two I just don't want to go. I wouldn't go knowing that Clary will never be able to go to a prom. Besides, Clary's birthday is next Saturday and I'm not letting her spend it alone." I tell her.

"Her birthday is next Saturday? Oh! I know what you can do for her! Friday night, we can throw a surprise party in the garden for her and then on Saturday, you could bring prom to her. Magnus and I can get her a dress today while we're out and I'll text you pictures for her to pick from, telling her they're for me. Maia and I can come over to get ready for prom with her and make her up at the same time. You, Alec, and Simon can decorate the gazebo and she'll be so surprised, Jace. Can you imagine her face when she sees you giving her a prom? It'll make her so happy! Oh I can't wait. I need to go tell Magnus! I'll text you some pictures to show Clary later. Bye!" she yells as she runs out the door.

I shake my head and can't help but smile at my sister's idea. It's actually perfect. She'll have her first surprise party with friends and her first prom. And I'll get to dance close to her all night, just me and her. I make my way over to the institute to be with Clary during her treatment since her mother couldn't come due to an art show she's hosting.

When I get there, I see my mom and Clary walking together to the treatment room. I hurry over to them.

"Hi!" I say a little breathlessly.

"Jace, what are you doing here so early? I thought you'd be coming later on." Clary asks me with confusion.

I smile and take her hand. I don't miss my mom looking from our clasped hands to me. "You said your mom couldn't come this morning and I didn't want you to go alone so I came to keep you company." I reply.

"Thanks, Jace!" she says beaming at me. I smile back and we walk in the treatment room where she goes to lie down on the bed. Mom comes up beside her and I step back to watch. Mom hooks Clary up to some machine and sticks a long painful looking needle in her back. I cringe as I watch. After a minute, mom steps back and fiddles with the computer. I walk up beside Clary and take her hand as I settle in the chair beside the bed.

She smiles at me but it's much weaker than before. "Does it hurt badly?" I ask quietly.

"Yeah, but I'm used to it by now. Hey. Don't look like that. I'm okay, Jace." she says and squeezes my hand gently. I don't know what my face looked like but she could definitely tell exactly what I was feeling inside.

"I just wish you didn't have to go through any pain." I whisper stroking her hair back. She closes her eyes and I realize mom is staring at me. I look up at her and she looks as me sadly and turns around.

A little while later, mom clears her throat. "All done, sweetie." Clary opens her eyes and smiles a grateful smile. I help her up and we walk back to her room. She goes straight to the bed and collapses on it.

"They're making me more and more tired. Come lie down with me." she says softly. I climb up beside her and she turns on her side to face me so I do too. "Tell me something."

"Like what?" I ask unsure of what it is she wants me to tell her.

"I don't know. Izzy said she's going to prom next week. What's prom like? What all do you do there?" she asks so innocently.

"I've never been to prom, but I think it has cheesy decorations around a ridiculous theme and people dance and sit around talking." I say thinking of some movies I've seen before.

"Are you going too?"

I smile because she has no idea what is going to happen at 'prom'. "No I'm not going to the school prom. I'd rather spend my night with you."

"Jace, you shouldn't miss out on your prom just to stay with me." A worried tone in her voice.

"Trust me, Clary. I'm not going to miss out on anything. By the way, Izzy said she wants your opinion on some dresses. She said she was going to take pictures of them and text them to me to show you. She wants you to pick your favorite one for her."

"I don't know why she wants my opinion but okay. Will you read to me some more, please?" she asks and I swear I will never be able to deny her anything.

"Of course. Come here." I tell her and pull her to lie on my chest as I reach over for the book. I begin reading as Clary absently draws circles along my chest. This moment feels so right and so perfect. I could stay like this forever.

After a while, her strength returns and we go outside and she draws and we talk. Throughout the day I get texts from Isabelle of different dresses and I show them to Clary.

"Tell her no to the first two and I love the last one." Clary says handing the phone back to me. I text her what she says and smile because she has no idea she just picked out her own prom dress.

"So, school's almost over for you guys. What are Alec and Magnus going to do once they graduate?" she asks genuinely interested in my friend's lives.

"They'll go to college here in the city but I think they'll spend the first year at home saving money. I'm glad Alec's staying. I would miss seeing him every day." I say as we head inside for dinner.

"Do you know where you want to go to college?"

"I always pictured staying near my family. Maybe Isabelle and I can go where Alec and Magnus are and we can live near each other still."

"That's sound nice. I think you all will have an amazing time in college. Promise me that you'll study hard and not get into too much trouble, Jace." she says smiling a little as we sit down together.

I take her hand and look her directly in the eyes. "I promise I will. I would do anything for you." She stares right back and we get lost in each other's eyes until my mom comes up to our table.

She clears her throat and Clary looks away first. "Hi, Clary. How are you feeling?" mom asks looking back and forth between us.

"Oh, I'm feeling much better than this morning, thank you, Maryse." Clary says sweetly and begins eating her dinner.

Mom nods and smiles and turns to walk away. "I'll be right back, okay?" I lean close and whisper in her ear.

"Okay."

I get up and rush after my mom. "Mom!" I call out to her. She turns around and I see tears in her eyes.

"Mom?"

"I'm sorry honey. I just hate this situation so much. I see how good Clary is for you and I can't. . . .I'm just so sorry, son." mom chokes out.

I hug my mom close to me and squeeze her. "She's going to be okay, mom. You'll find a donor and she'll live a long happy life hopefully with me. Next Saturday is her birthday and we want to throw her a surprise party in the garden Friday night. And on Saturday, I would like to bring prom to her here. Is it okay if I do that?" I ask hoping not to upset her further.

"Oh, Jace. . . .I think that would be wonderful for her. Of course you can." mom says and hugs me again. I smile and walk back to Clary where she's finishing up her dinner.

As we are walking back to her room, she looks a little sad. I follow her inside and we sit on the bed and lean against the headboard.

"What's wrong, Clary?" I can't stand to see her sad.

"I was just thinking how you're community service is almost over and I've gotten used to seeing you every day." She looks over at me. "I can't thank you enough for the friendship you've shown me. It really means a lot to me."

Without thinking I reach over and cup her cheek with my hand. "I'm not going anywhere. I'll still see you every day even after I've completed my community service. I want to be here. Please don't worry about that." I smile and she blushes. I can feel the heat coming off of her cheek that I'm still holding. She clears her throat and I let go of her.

"You want me to read to you until you fall asleep?" I ask reaching for the book beside the bed.

"It's Saturday night, Jace. Wouldn't you rather hang out with your friends? You don't have to stay here with me."

I shake my head. "There isn't anywhere else I'd rather be right now. So go change and I'll read." I tell her in a playful but firm voice. She smiles and kisses me on the cheek before getting up and going into her bathroom to change clothes. I touch my cheek and smile. She kissed me this time. I can't wait until next Saturday. I plan to kiss her right.

She comes back out and climbs under the covers. I pull her to lie on my chest and I begin reading where we left off. After a while, I feel her breathing regulate and I slip out from under her. I place a curl that had fallen across her cheek behind her ear and lean down to kiss her on the cheek. Just as my lips touch her face, she sighs and whispers my name. _God, I love this girl._ I smile and kiss her again and then I leave and walk home.

The week has flown by and today I have been in charge of keeping Clary out of the garden so everyone can decorate it for Clary's surprise birthday party. We've spent the last hour in the music room messing around and laughing at each other. I feel my pocket vibrate and see a text from Isabelle telling me they're ready for us.

"Hey, you want to go out to the garden for a little while. I need some fresh air." I say holding my hand out for her to take. She slips her hand in mine and together we walk out to the garden. When we round the corner toward the gazebo everyone shouts surprise. I watch Clary's face as she realizes what this is. Her mouth falls open and her beautiful green eyes start shining with tears. Her hand rests on her chest and she looks at me with awe.

"This is for me?" she asks with disbelief in her voice. She looks back at all our friends who are smiling widely and watching her reaction.

"Yes, this is for you. We all love you, Clary. Happy birthday." I say quietly. She looks back at me and the amazement in her face is replaced with pure joy. She flings herself at me and hugs me tight. I wrap my arms around her just as tight.

"Thank you. I love it." she whispers in my ear and I have to hold back a shiver. She lets go of me and turns toward our friends and hugs each one telling them thank you over and over.

"Come on, Clary. Let's get this birthday party started." Isabelle declares and pulls Clary into the gazebo. I walk up the steps and Alec claps me on the shoulder. I smile at him and turn back to watch Clary. I see a table set up with pizza and a huge birthday cake in the center that reads 'Happy Birthday, Clary!' and a karaoke machine in the corner. We eat and share the birthday cake. The whole time, Clary has the biggest smile on her face. Her mom and a man she introduces to us as Luke comes by and joins us. I see how grateful her mom is that we did this for Clary. After a while, they leave and Isabelle turns to us with a microphone in her hand. She beckons Clary forward with her finger. Clary gets up and stands next to Isabelle facing us.

"Today, we are celebrating our good friend's birthday. And there is no better way to celebrate than with song." Isabelle announces. "So with that being said, I dedicate this next song to my friend, Clary." Isabelle hugs Clary and turns on the karaoke machine. She starts singing 'Fancy' by Iggy Azalea. We all laugh and whoop and cheer during her performance. Next up Magnus and Alec sing a duet together that makes us all laugh harder. Maia and Magnus sing 'Dark Horse' by Katy Perry. Simon and Jordan rap a song together that has us all rolling on the floor in laughter. Especially seeing dorky Simon rapping.

"A little birdie told us that you can play the guitar. Magnus, bring the guitars out please." Isabelle calls out. Magnus and Alec bring out two guitars. Alec hands me the electric guitar and Magnus hands Clary the acoustic one. We look at each other and then back to Isabelle in confusion.

"Everyone has performed, so now it's time for you to show us what you've got." Isabelle explains. "I've picked a song I know you both know." she tells us as she points to the screen on the machine. I see what song it is and I smile. I look at Clary and see her smile, too.

"Okay." she says and we pull up a chair and sit side by side with our guitars in our laps. I take a deep breath and begin strumming. We look at each other and begin singing.

**Dancin where the stars go blue.**

_Dancin where the evening fell._

**Dancin in your wooden shoes.**

_In a wedding gown._

**Dancin out on seventh street.**

**Dancin through the underground.**

_Dancin with a marionette._

**_Are you happy now? _**

**_Where do you go when you're lonely?_**

**_Where do you go when you're blue?_**

**_Where do you go when you're lonely – I'll follow you._**

**When the stars go blue.**

_Blue ooh ooh ooh._

**When the stars go blue.**

_Blue ooh ooh ooh._

I can't take my eyes off of Clary playing and singing. I think I fell a little bit more in love with her in this moment.

**Laughin with your pretty mouth.**

_Laughin with your broken eyes_

**Laughin with your lovers tongue.**

**_In a lullaby – _****yeah yeah**

**_Where do you go when you're lonely?_**

**_Where do you go when you're blue?_**

**_Where do you go when you're lonely – I'll follow you._**

**When the stars go blue.**

_Blue ooh ooh ooh._

**When the stars go blue.**

_Blue ooh ooh ooh._

_Blue ooh ooh ooh._

**When the stars go blue.**

**When the stars go blue.**

Clary is smiling and we are watching each other while singing together. I have to admit we sound really good together. Just another thing that makes us right for each other. I notice out of the corner of my eye, my friends looking at us with a mixture of happiness and amazement. Isabelle especially is looking like she may just burst.

**_Where do you go _****when you're loney?**

_Where do you go when you're blue – yeah?_

**Where do you go ****_when you're lonely – I'll follow you – follow you – follow you_**

_Yeah yeah_

**_Where do you go when you're lonely?_**

**_Where do you go when you're blue?_**

**_Where do you go when you're lonely – _****I'll follow you.**

**When the stars go blue.**

_Blue ooh ooh ooh._

**When the stars go blue.**

_Blue ooh ooh ooh._

**When the stars go blue.**

I strum the last note and we sit there smiling widely at each other for a second. And then we hear loud applause and hoots from our friends. I sit the guitar down and take Clary's from her and take her hand. She surprises me by hugging me around the neck and burying her face in my neck. I hand the guitar to whoever is closest to me and wrap my arms around her tiny waist. I nuzzle into her hair and close my eyes. I feel her leaning back after a moment and I look down at her but don't let her go. She's smiling at me and has tears in her eyes.

"That was so fun, Jace. This is whole night has been the best one of my life. Thank you so much." she says and then turns to our friends while I keep my arm around her waist and takes Isabelle's hands.

"You guys are the best friends anyone could ever have. I've never had a birthday party with friends let alone a surprise birthday party. I feel incredibly lucky to have met each and every one of you. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart."

Isabelle and Maia dry the moisture coming out of their eyes and I hear Magnus sniff. I squeeze Clary a little tighter.

"I think we should call it a night. Clary and I can clean up out here. Thanks for coming guys." I say as everyone gathers their things. After each one hugs Clary bye, we start throwing away the dinner plates and pizza boxes. I pick up the guitars and she takes the left over cake and we go inside. We drop off the guitars and put the cake in the fridge after sitting down and sharing one more piece. I walk her to her room and follow her inside. She goes in the bathroom and changes and climbs into the bed. I kneel down beside her and play with one of her curls. She stares at me sleepily.

"Get some sleep, birthday girl." I say softly. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay." she says through a yawn.

I laugh softly and kiss her on the temple. I stand up and notice she's already asleep. I smile at how quick she fell asleep tonight.

"I love you." I whisper quietly and then I leave her to sleep.

**So there you go! I hope you enjoyed the birthday party. Let me know your thoughts and I will always take suggestions. Thank you to my pal m1129 for pre reading/proofing for me. Drop me a review!**

**Until next time. . . .**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey everyone! **

**Thanks again for the positive reviews I have gotten so far! YAY! They make me so happy... This chapter is one of my favorites. I had this scene in my head when I originally thought of this story. The last thing I want to say is Have Faith in me. I promise not to let you down! :)**

**I own very few things and these characters and music are not one of them.**

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter 4:**

**_Chapter Songs:_**

_My Heart by the Perishers_

_Lisztomania by Phoenix_

_I Need You by M83_

_Everything by Lifehouse_

**Clary:**

I wake up and head to breakfast to meet my mom. I can't keep the giant smile off of my face. It's been there since last night. Jace and everyone surprising me with a birthday party was the absolute most amazing thing that has ever happened to me. I can't even believe that Jace did that for me. My smile never left my face the whole night. I think I even slept with a smile all night.

I walk into the dining room and see my mom talking to Maryse. I walk over to them and greet them.

"Good morning!" I sing happily as I take my seat at the table.

"Good morning sweetheart. You look happy this morning. Happy birthday, by the way." mom says smiling at me.

"Thank you! I am happy this morning. Maryse, thank you so much for letting us have the party here. Jace and Isabelle are the best!" I say turning to Maryse.

"You're welcome. I'm glad you had a good time."

"I had the best time of my life." I answer honestly. Mom and Maryse just smile and we begin eating before going to do my treatment. I wish I could skip today with it being my birthday and all, but Maryse would never go for it.

As I get my treatment, I tune out mom and Maryse's conversation and my thoughts drift to Jace. I feel my cheeks heat up just thinking about him. He said he wanted to spend my birthday with me instead of going to his prom. What does that mean? What am I thinking? It doesn't mean anything. I shouldn't even be entertaining thoughts about Jace.

"Are you okay, Clary?" I hear Maryse ask. I open my eyes and look at my mom and Maryse standing over me.

"Yeah. Why?" I ask confused why they would ask this.

"You're all flushed. Let's take your temperature just to be sure." Maryse says and grabs a thermometer and shoves it in my mouth.

"Normal. I guess I was just overreacting." she says and moves back to the computer. Mom and I talk the rest of the time, with her telling me all about the shows she's hosting coming up and the art classes she's teaching on the side. I'm glad she's staying busy.

After mom leaves I go lie down for a bit to regain my strength. I listen to my IPod and draw in my sketchpad. Before I know it, I've drawn a very detailed drawing of Jace playing the guitar like last night. Curious, I flip back through the sketchpad and realize I've drawn Jace multiple times. A knock on my door sends me to hastily close the sketchpad and store it in the drawer beside the bed.

"Come in." I call hoping it's Jace. I pat my hair and sit up straighter. The door opens and Isabelle and Maia walk in carrying several bags each.

"Hey, girl! We came to get ready for prom here so we could spend the day together." Isabelle says coming in and dropping her bags on the window seat. Maia drops hers on the bed and turns toward me.

"We also want to make you up while we get ready. So go shower. We already did." Maia explains and pulls me up and pushes me towards the bathroom. Before I know it, I'm in the shower feeling a mix of confusion and excitement.

When I get out, I wrap a towel around my body and peek out of the bathroom. Isabelle sees me and pulls me out all the way and sits me down in my desk chair.

"Okay, Clary. I'm going to do your make-up while Maia does your hair. And then we'll get ready and we'll take pictures of each other. This is going to be so fun!" Isabelle declares.

"That does sound fun, but why are you wasting your time on me? I'm not the ones going to prom." I feel my hair being brushed as Isabelle sets out all of her make-up.

"I know, but I already told you I wanted to style you up one day and this seems like a good day to do that. Besides we enjoy this kind of stuff, don't we Maia?"

"Yep! This is what girlfriends do." Maia agrees and I smile widely at her comment. She lumped me in the girlfriend zone.

Once my hair is dry, Maia begins curling it with a very fat curling iron as we talk about prom, boys, the dates they've been on, and anything else girly.

"This is great guys. I actually feel like a normal teenager getting ready to go to prom. You'll have to come by tomorrow to tell me all about it. I asked Jace what it's like, but he didn't know much about them." I admit with a small smile, remembering lying down with him and talking.

"Oh you'll definitely be hearing from us." Isabelle states matter-of-factly. After a few minutes of silence, Isabelle speaks up. "So, you and Jace seem to spend a lot of time together. What do you guys do?" she asks biting her lip.

I shrug. "I don't know. Lots of things. I ask him about high school and things you guys do when you get together and stuff like that. Sometimes he'll read to me before I fall asleep. Sometimes we don't talk at all and just go outside and I'll draw and he'll read or study. It's nice." I finish with a blush.

I watch Isabelle and Maia get ready and then Isabelle turns to me and hands me a dress. I look at her confused.

"Clary? Could you put this dress on so I can see it what it looks like? This was your favorite and this one was Magnus' favorite on me. I can't decide which one to wear." she says holding up another dress after handing me the one she wants me to put on. I shrug my shoulders and start putting the dress on. It's beautiful! It's dark green and has lace cap sleeves and a scoop neck. It's long and form fitting and backless. I feel so pretty in it.

I turn around and look at Isabelle. She hands me beautiful black, open-toed heels. I put them on and look at her.

"Now come sit down for a minute." she says eyeing me speculatively. I sit and she proceeds to twist my hair up and secure it with clip, letting curls fall around my face. She turns me around and has me stand back up. Maia comes over and stands beside Isabelle.

"You look amazing, Clary." Maia says smiling brightly and Isabelle nods her head.

"You really do, Clary." Isabelle says softly. I smile back at them and turn toward the mirror.

"So, which one are you going to wear, Izzy?" I ask just as I hear a knock on the door. I walk to the door and open it to find a very handsome Jace, looking smoking hot in a tux. He stares at me in amazement. We both look at each other from head to toe.

"Jace, you look so handsome. I thought you weren't going to prom." I say a little disappointed that he won't be staying long.

"I changed my mind. And you look beautiful, Clary." he says eyeing me again.

"Thanks. Isabelle wanted me to try this on to help her decide which one to wear." I turn back to see Isabelle and Maia with their things.

"That dress fits you perfectly, Clary. I think you should keep it. We'll see you later." Isabelle says as she and Maia squeeze past us out the door. I furrow my eyebrows and look back at Jace who is smiling at me suspiciously.

"What?" I ask. He shakes his head and laughs a little.

"Will you take a walk with me?" he asks and holds his hand out for me.

"Don't you need to go and pick up your date?" I ask but take his hand anyway.

Again he shakes his head. "I don't need to go anywhere just yet."

He wraps my hand around his arm and we walk to the garden. Once we get there, my eyes almost pop out of head. The entire garden has been lit up with hundreds of twinkling lights. A table is off in the corner with a white table cloth and candles on top. I feel my eyes sting and I blink several times. A few tears spill down my cheeks and I hastily wipe them away.

"Welcome to Prom." Jace whispers in my ear. I look at him and see such emotion in his eyes. I choke back more tears and smile.

"I – I can't even believe this. Oh my God. This is just. . . .God." I stammer out without making any sense.

"Can we get a few pictures?"

I turn and see Maryse and my mom, each holding a camera. I wipe my face again and look at Jace. He smiles down at me and we take several pictures together. Then Isabelle and Simon, Alec and Magnus, and Jordan and Maia join us for pictures. I take some with just Isabelle and Maia, too. Mom hugs me tight and whispers how much she loves me.

"Happy Birthday, Clary. Have fun at your very own prom." Isabelle says as she hugs me bye. I tell everyone bye and then it's just Jace and me. I go up to him and throw my arms around him and hug him tight.

"I feel like the luckiest girl right now and it's all because of you. Thank you so much, Jace. I love it."

He hugs me even tighter before pulling back to look down at me. "I want you to be able to do the things everyone else our age gets to do. I would do anything for you, Clary." He cups my cheek and with his thumb, wipes the tears falling down my face.

I close my eyes and shake my head. When I open them, I see him looking at me with a look that makes my breath catch. I don't know what that look means but it makes me weak in the knees. He smiles and takes my hand and leads me to the table and helps me sit down.

"I got take-out from one of my favorite restaurants. Your mom told me you love pancakes, so that's what I got for you." he says as he sits down across from me. He takes the lid off of my plate and I look down at the most delicious pancakes I've ever seen.

I notice he's eating pancakes, too, but his are covered with coconut where mine has whipped cream and strawberries on top. We dig in and I take the time to look around the magnificent garden.

"The garden looks beautiful, Jace. You really outdid yourself. I don't know why you'd do something like this for me, but whatever the reason, it sure has made me a happy girl." I say lightly.

"That's the reason, right there. I want to make you happy." he says with a grin.

I grin back and say, "Well you do." We finish our meal and we each take a peppermint. For the first time, I notice music playing in the background. Jace looks at me and holds his hand out to me.

"Would you like to dance?" he asks. His eyes shining brightly.

"I would love to." I say with a giggle.

~o.O.o~

**Jace:**

I lead Clary to the gazebo and wrap my arms around her small waist and pull her as close to me as I can. Clary puts both of her arms around my neck and one hand finds its way into my hair at the nape of my neck. I suppress a shiver from feeling her small fingers slide through my hair. She lies her head against my chest and I feel her sigh. I smile down at her and kiss her on the top of her head and inhale her sweet scent. Clary looks up at me with the most blindingly beautiful smile I've ever seen and return the smile.

I stare into her eyes and she stares right back. Something changes between us in this instant. I don't know how long we gaze at each other, but I find myself drawing closer to her until I can feel her breath on my lips.

"There's something I really want to do right now, Clary." I whisper against her mouth. She tightens her arms around my neck in response.

"What do you want to do, Jace?" she whispers back, looking at my lips and biting hers.

"This." I pull her lip from between her teeth with my thumb and cup her face as I bring my lips to hers. At first we just keep our mouths joined and breathe the other in. I don't know how, but I pull her even closer than she already was and open her mouth with mine slowly, realizing this is her first kiss. She obliges, and I slip my tongue in and touch hers. She lets out a small gasp and I caress her tongue softly. I smile against her gorgeous mouth as I think about her experiencing her first kiss on prom night. And I was the lucky one to get to do it. She pulls back a little breathless and as I look down at her and see her flushed cheeks I smile sweetly at her.

"I've never done that before." she says breathlessly. "I know it probably wasn't that great for you, but you did really good." she adds.

I chuckle lightly. "That was the best kiss I've ever had, Clary. In fact, it was so good, I just want to do it again." I say with a grin. She grins back and leans up and places her lips against mine and kisses me this time, and it was even better than the last one.

We continue dancing and occasionally kissing until we hear Isabelle's voice.

"Hey guys! I hope you don't mind if we join you." she says coming closer with everyone in tow.

"Why aren't you still at prom?" Clary asks turning to face our friends. I place my hands around her from behind and hug her to my chest. She laces her fingers through mine and I can't help but smile at the gesture.

"Prom sucked. We thought we'd have more fun here with you." she replies as she goes to turn the music up a bit more.

Everyone starts dancing with their partners and I feel so content in this moment. I silently say a prayer that a donor will be found soon and the girl I love can live and be mine. After a while, I lead Clary over to the table and sit down bringing Clary down to sit in my lap. She smiles at me as I wrap my arms around her firmly. We watch our friends dancing and laugh at Simon's dance moves as well as Magnus doing the worm, with Alec looking down at him with an embarrassed smile. I thought Clary was happy last night but that doesn't compare to how happy she is tonight. At about midnight, everyone decides to call it a night and I get an idea as I walk Clary back to her room.

When we get there, I go to her drawers and pull out some long pajama pants and a t-shirt. Turning around I hold them out for her. She looks at me with her head cocked to the side and her eyebrows furrowed together. She looks so damn cute like that.

"Go change into these. I have one more surprise for you." I say to her and kiss her lightly on the lips.

She takes the clothes and turns toward the bathroom. She walks in and closes the door. A minute later, she comes out wearing the pajamas and I take her hand and lead her down the hall to the supply room to grab a blanket. She looks at me with her eyebrows raised. I shake my head at her with a smile. I take her up some hidden stairs and onto the roof of the institute. I lay the blanket down as she walks to the edge and looks out over the city.

"Wow. It's beautiful up here. You can see almost everything from here." she says in awe.

I move up beside her and point to my house. "That's my house. You see that dark window right there." I say pointing to my house. She nods and I continue. "That's actually my room." She looks back at me and smiles a small smile. I notice she looks a little down, not much but I can see it all the same.

"Come on. Lie down with me and let's look at the stars." I say and pull her to the blanket I laid out when we got out here. She lies down on her back and I do as well. I pull her close and we stare at the stars for a while in comfortable silence.

"Jace?"

"Hmmm?"

She pauses and I look down at her. I sit up bringing her with me. "What is it?" I ask with concern.

"I just wish things were different, that's all." she sighs, looking down and then back up to me. "I really like you and I shouldn't." she says so quietly I almost don't hear her.

I look into her amazing green eyes. "I really like you, too, Clary. I've never felt this way about anyone before." I say softly as I trace her cheek with my fingertips causing her to close her eyes briefly.

"I don't want to hurt you, Jace. I shouldn't have let you get so close."

"I wanted to see you and spend time with you. I've never been this happy. I love being with you." I say trying to make her understand.

"But you're not going to be able too much longer."

"Don't say that. I still believe mom will find you a donor. Please don't give up, Clary." I plead with her. I take her face in my hands and I kiss her. I kiss her with all the emotion I'm feeling, the desperation for her to keep fighting a little longer, the love I feel for her even though I haven't told her yet. I kiss her with everything I have. When we break apart breathless, she looks up at me with reverence. I place a few more chaste kisses on her cheeks and mouth and pull her back to my chest and lie down under the stars, where she eventually falls asleep. I carry her back to her room and tuck her in to the soft blankets. I kiss her once more on the lips and leave her dreaming peacefully.

I wake to phones ringing. My phone stops ringing and then I hear Isabelle's phone going off. I groan and turn over to get a few more hours of sleep. I vaguely hear Isabelle's muffled voice through the walls and then I'm abruptly pulled awake by the banging of my door against the wall when Isabelle bursts in looking extremely pale holding her phone.

"Jace!" she breathes. When I see the look on her face, my heart stutters and begins beating frantically.

"Isabelle! What's wrong?" I ask hopping out of bed.

"Mom just called. She said we need to come to the institute right away. She said….she said it's time to say good-bye to C-Clary." she chokes out as big fat tears fall from her eyes.

"NO! No no no" This can't be happening!"

**Oh sh*# ! Remember Have Faith! **

**If you review - be nice :)**

**Until next time. . . .**


	5. Chapter 5

**First: I totally forgot to thank m1129 for your help with the last chapter - I'm such a bad friend :( and also thank you for your advice and help with this chapter as well. Second: I told you all to have faith in me. I know you hate cliffy's but sometimes they are necessary. So now you can read on to find out what happened to Clary and remember I am no doctor - I have no medical experience and this is fiction for a reason. :)**

**Enjoy!**

**I own the ideas only!**

**Chapter 5:**

**_Chapter Songs:_**

_All I Want by Kodaline_

_Come Home by One Republic &amp; Sara Bareilles_

_Echo by Jason Walker_

_Peaches by In the Valley Below_

**Jace:**

I run straight to the institute in my pajamas and bare feet. I run in and someone tells me she's in treatment. I run there and burst in to see Clary's mom sitting by the bed holding Clary's hand and sobbing quietly. The man I met once, Luke, standing behind her with his hands on her shoulders. My mom standing at the foot of the bed trying to hold back her tears. And then I look at Clary. She's very pale but still so incredibly beautiful. I go up to the side of the bed and pick up her hand and bring it to my lips. I squeeze my eyes tight and feel wetness trailing down my cheeks. I hear Isabelle enter and out of the corner of my eye, I see mom embracing her tight.

"Please, mom. There's got to be someone! Someone you haven't checked. I can't give up on her. I…I can't. Please help her…. please just help her." I plead. Clary's mom starts crying harder. I lean down and whisper in Clary's ear.

"Clary, please don't leave me. I love you."

"Jace, I'm so sorry. I have checked every donor on the list within a 100 miles, 200 miles even. Her blood type is so rare. I wish I could do more, I really do." mom says sadly.

I sit there for a minute staring at the girl I have fallen hard for. This can't be the end to our story.

"You haven't checked me." I say quietly as the idea forms in my head. "Do you know what my blood type is mom?" I ask turning toward her. She looks speechless for a moment.

"No I don't, actually. But Jace that's a long shot. The odds of you being a match is –"

"I don't care about the odds. I want you to check." I say firmly turning back to Clary.

"Alright." mom sighs. "Fran? Could you bring in a blood test kit, please?" mom asks a nurse in the hall. A few minutes later, mom comes over to me to get a sample.

"Okay, Jace. Let me see your arm." she says, taking my arm and sticking the veins in my inner arm with a long needle.

Mom takes the sample and walks over to a machine in the corner and places it inside. I glance at Clary's mom and she meets my eyes. I look back at Clary and squeeze my eyes tight.

"I can't believe it…." mom whispers. We all look at her and she turns around and locks eyes with me.

"Mom?" Isabelle touches mom's shoulder.

"You're a match, Jace. I can't believe it but you're a match." she says in a low voice.

I sit there and let that sink in for a split second and then I shoot out of my chair.

"Well, come on. Save her."

"Jace." Clary's mom calls my name. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

I look at her incredulously. "Of course I do. I would do anything for her. Now come on, we're wasting time." _Why is everyone questioning this?_

"Fran? Please take Jace and prep him for surgery. I'll take Clary." mom says addressing the same woman who brought in the blood test kit. I follow her out and Isabelle comes with me.

"Jace, this is dangerous. I'm worried. What if something goes wrong during surgery?" she says as we get inside a room, where Fran proceeds to hand me something to put on instead of what I'm wearing.

"Isabelle, everything is going to be fine. I have to do this. I need her, Iz. She can't die. And I have a chance to save her. Besides you guys adopting me, she's the best thing that's happened to me." I tell her and kiss her forehead and go change into the things Fran gave me. A few minutes later, I'm being wheeled into surgery. Mom looks down at me with a small smile.

"I'm proud of you son."

"Take care of her mom." I plead as things are getting hooked up to me.

"I will, I promise." she smiles and then Clary is wheeled in beside me. I feel a mask drop over my face and see someone do the same to her. I never take my eyes off of her until darkness takes over and all I see is nothing….

~o.O.o~

**Jace:**

I wake to loud beeps and whispered voices. I peel my eyes open and squint through the brightness of the lights overhead. I try to move but I feel a sharp pain in my stomach. I let out a groan and hear Isabelle calling for mom. Mom comes into the room and walks up to the side of the bed I'm lying in.

"How're you feeling?" she asks softly, checking some of the machines.

I clear my throat and try to talk, but my throat feels like sandpaper is lodged in it. Mom puts a straw up to my mouth and I take a long drink of water that instantly makes my throat feel better.

"How's Clary?" I ask worried about her.

Mom chuckles softly. "I figured that would be the first words out of your mouth when you woke up." she says shaking her head with a smile. "She did great. She's still in recovery asleep. Her surgery was a lot more involved than yours. That's why she's still out. So far it seems like your kidney is a perfect fit for her."

I breathe out a sigh of relief. "When can I see her?"

"You need your rest too, Jace. You just had major surgery as well. You can see her maybe tomorrow." mom replies.

"No. I can't wait until tomorrow. I need to see her today. As soon as she wakes up, I need to see her." I try to sit up but mom pushes me back down gently.

"Calm down, Jace. You can't even sit up without being in pain, much less walk."

"Then wheel me in there. I can deal with the pain for a little while. Please?" I beg. Mom's face softens and she finally relents, telling me as soon as Clary wakes up she'll come and get me. I lie back and close my eyes and wait for her to wake up.

~o.O.o~

**Clary:**

I feel my hand in someone else's and my arm getting rubbed softly. I open my eyes a little and see a white ceiling. I open them wider and see I'm in some kind of hospital room. This is not my room at the institute. I turn my head and see my mom sitting beside me in a hard plastic chair.

"Mom…."I whisper, my voice raw.

"Oh, sweetheart. You're awake. Here, have some water. Maryse said you'd be thirsty when you woke up." she says handing me a cup with a straw. I drink greedily at the water in the cup.

"What happened? Why am I here?" I ask confusion clouding my brain.

"I came for your treatment and when you didn't show up to breakfast, Maryse and I went to see where you were. We found you passed out in your bed and we couldn't wake you. Maryse took you to treatment and ran some tests and said it was too late. I called Luke and we were just about to say good-bye to you when a donor was found. At the last possible minute, you were saved." mom explains.

"Maryse found a match? I thought my blood type was too rare." I say still not quite comprehending the outcome.

"It is rare, but someone else has the same rare blood type as you. They've been impatiently waiting for you to wake up. Do you think you're feeling up to seeing your donor?" she asks with a huge smile on her face.

"Yeah, but is Jace here? Can I see him after?" I ask wondering where he is at the moment.

"Yes, Jace is here. You'll be seeing him soon, sweetheart. I'll be right back." she says getting up and going out the door. I close my eyes and think about seeing Jace. I wonder if he'll still want to hang out with me after all this. I'm still lost in thought when I feel someone take my hand. I open my eyes and stare right into the golden eyes I wanted to see.

"Jace…." I whisper. I can't take my eyes off of him and he seems to be unable to as well. And then I see him in a wheelchair slumped to the side slightly. "Why are you in a wheelchair?" I ask concerned something happened to him.

"Because they wouldn't let me walk in here. I had to beg mom to let me come see you as soon as you woke up." he says and brings my hand to his lips.

"Are you hurt?" I ask still not sure why he's in a wheelchair.

He smiles and shakes his head. "Just sore from the surgery."

"Surgery? Why did you….wait….you're the one?!" I ask incredulously.

He smiles and nods his head. "We're a perfect match. Not only does our blood match and you now carry a part of me, we will also have matching surgery scars. Face it Clary, we were meant to be." he says and my heart flutters at his words. The heart monitor I'm hooked up to starts beeping fast.

He laughs and then winces. "Ow. Remind me not to laugh."

"Sorry." I stare at him for a while. "I can't believe you saved me. I owe you so much. How will I ever repay something like this?"

"You owe me nothing. You saved me, Clary. I was heading for a life of trouble before I met you. I didn't care about anything. I was always getting into fights and I just didn't care. And then I heard an angel sing and my world shifted. We saved each other." he says in a serious tone. I smile a small smile and squeeze his hand.

"If I could move right now, I would kiss you. I really enjoy doing that." I say with my cheeks heating up as I say it.

"If I could reach you, I would kiss _you_." he says with a grin. "There are some people here to see you. Are you ready for some visitors?"

I nod wondering who would be here to see me. "Sure."

Jace texts someone and a few seconds later Isabelle, Simon, Magnus, Alec, Maia, and Jordan all walk in to the room.

"Clary. We've been so worried about you. But it looks like you're going to be fine now and then we can go shopping and hang out and have so much fun." Isabelle gushes.

"We're so happy that everything turned out so well." Alec says with a hand on Jace's shoulder.

Everyone stays for a while and then Maryse comes in and tells them that Jace and I need our rest. They all say good-bye and that they'll be back tomorrow.

"Okay, Jace. It's time to go back to your room to rest." Maryse says as she walks over to push his wheelchair for him.

"Mom, can't you bring my bed in here and let us rest together? I think we would both recover faster if we aren't separated worrying about each other." Jace asks his mom with big innocent eyes. He's really good at that.

She huffs and agrees, leaving to retrieve Jace's bed. "I hope you don't mind, but I'd rather rest here." he says with a sheepish smile.

I smile back. "Not at all."

Maryse comes back in with another bed and sets it up beside mine. She helps Jace climb into it and tells us to rest. She turns down the lights and we scoot as close to each other as possible. All we can reach is our hands so we hold hands as we drift off to sleep.

~o.O.o~

**Jace:**

It's been 2 months since the surgery that saved Clary and things have been going great. She still has to come in weekly to get checked, but so far everything looks good. Clary and I finished the eleventh grade through home-schooling. I could've gone back to school after I recovered but I wanted to stay with Clary. If she gets the all clear at this week's appointment, she'll be able to attend school for her senior year. To say she's excited would be an understatement**.** Clary officially became my girlfriend the day after the surgery when we were still recovering together. It was one of the best moments in my life.

I pull up to Clary's house to take her to the appointment and walk up to the door. Before I can knock, she pulls the door open and launches herself at me. I laugh and swing her around before setting her down on the ground again.

"Hey, baby! Did you miss me?" I tease. She laughs and kisses my cheek.

"I always do. Come on, let's go! Maryse might release me today!" she exclaims and she takes my hand and pulls me to the car. I open her door for her and she climbs in giving me a beautiful smile and we head to the institute. It's a short drive, but until she's cleared we aren't walking.

We pull up and she hops out, practically skipping her way into the institute. We get to the treatment room and Clary hops onto the bed. I can't help but chuckle at her excitement. Mom comes in and smiles fondly at Clary.

"Hello, dear. You ready for this to be over?" mom asks as she prepares for the tests.

"As much as I love it here, I am so ready to be cleared so I can go to high school and take walks and do whatever I want to do." Clary replies with a sparkle in her eyes.

"Well let's see how everything is going."

Mom runs the tests while Clary and I talk quietly. I hold her hand and every now and then I kiss the back of her hand. I just love touching her in some way. I haven't told her I love her yet, but I won't be able to keep it in much longer. Mom walks over to us but her face doesn't give away anything.

"Well?" Clary asks eagerly.

"After checking everything, I recommend….a long happy life. You're clear to go to school and take walks and do whatever you want to do." mom says using Clary's earlier words.

Clary's whole face lights up and her mouth hangs open. "Oh my God! Jace I get to go to school with you! Oh thank you, Maryse. Thank you so much!" She hugs mom and then turns to me and hugs me tight. I wrap my arms around her and when she pulls back, I place my lips to hers and kiss her passionately. I look down at her and smirk when I see her flaming cheeks. She looks around and we're alone. Mom must've left when she hugged me. When Clary sees that mom is gone, she goes up on her toes and kisses me again. This time the kiss is slower and lasts longer.

"Mmmm….I really love when you kiss me like that." I whisper in her ear, causing her to shiver. We haven't done more than make-out and that's okay with me. I'll wait until she's ready to do anything more and she knows that.

"Like what?" she asks, placing a kiss on my neck.

"Like you can't get enough of me and that I'm the only one in the world you want to be with." I tell her as I place small open mouth kisses along her jaw and neck.

"You are the only one in the world I want to be with and I can never get enough of you Jace." she says and looks me in the eyes. _God, I love her._

"You are the best thing in my world, do you know that? I'll never want anyone else. You're it for me." I stare into her eyes and I decide right then to tell her. "Clary, I love you. I love you so damn much. I have for a long time." I swallow hard and keep my eyes on her.

She smiles and I feel like I'm looking directly at an angel. "I love you, too, Jace. Always." I pick her up and kiss her like never before. When we break apart, I pull her close to my side and we leave the institute and I take her out to celebrate our new, stronger relationship.

~o.O.o~

**Clary:**

Jace told me he loves me. I can't believe how much everything has changed in the last few months. I sit in Isabelle's room while she paints my nails and we hang out together. Jace has gone with Alec and Magnus looking at apartments.

"So, I take it things are going well with Jace." Isabelle says conversationally.

I blush and reply, "Yeah, they are."

"Uh huh. Oh, by the way, we'll be meeting up with Maia later to go school shopping. Isn't that exciting?"

"As much as I hate shopping, I am actually excited to go school shopping! I cannot wait to go to school with you guys." I pause and wonder what the other students will be like. "Do you think I'll fit in, Izzy?" I ask nervously. After watching the movie Mean Girls, I have been more and more nervous about going. Jace probably has many admirers with as good looking at he is, and I don't want to be hated.

"Of course you will. Besides you already have me, Jace, Simon, Maia, and Jordan to hang out with. You were so excited a few weeks ago. What's changed?" she asks coming to sit beside me on the bed.

"Nothing. I'm still excited but I just don't want to be the center of any drama, that's all. I shouldn't have watched Mean Girls." I say with a sigh.

Isabelle chuckles. "Oh, Clary. They won't be that bad! I probably shouldn't tell you this, but Jace asked mom if she would call the office at school and arrange for me and him to be in all your classes. She did and we're all together. Is that okay with you?" she asks tentatively.

I think about this for a second. I know Jace just worries about me because he loves me so how can I not be okay with that. "Yeah, I'm glad. I know Jace worries so if it makes him feel better then I'm fine with it."

"Good. Now no more worrying. We're all here for you, Clary. And Jace….well let's just say that you have absolutely nothing to worry about there." she says and I vaguely wonder what she means. "Come on. It's time to meet Maia for some good ol shopping." Isabelle hooks my arm through hers and we set off for the mall. On the way, I get a text from Jace and smile.

**Hey, baby! Whatcha doin? ~ J**

_Getting kidnapped by your sister and tortured with hours of shopping. ~ C_

_How's it going with Alec and Magnus? They find anything yet? ~ C_

**I think they've narrowed it down to 20 places now. And sorry about Izzy. Are you feeling up to shopping? ~ J**

_It's fine. I actually need some new school clothes! And yeah, I feel great. Stop worrying. ~ C_

**I can't stop worrying about you. I love you too much. I can't wait to see you later. ~ J**

_I can't wait either and I love you too. See you soon! 3 ~ C_

**Bye, baby 3 ~ J**

I shake my head and put my phone away. I glance over at Isabelle and see her smirking at me.

"What?" I ask.

She shakes her head. "You two are just too stinking cute. That boy has had it bad for you since he met you."

"Shut up." I say rolling my eyes.

"I'm serious. The day he met you he was like a walking zombie. When he brought me to meet you, your door was cracked a little and you were asleep. He asked me to wait in the hall until he called me in. I watched him through the crack and I could see in his eyes how he felt about you. I see it every time he looks at you. You have the same look you know?" she says with a happy smile.

"Yeah, I know." I smile and get out of the car. We walk inside and see Maia waiting for us. She hugs us and we set out for some shopping and girl time.

**See - I didn't kill Clary! I would never kill off a main character. So tell me what you think about how everything is going now. Leave me a review or you can PM me if you want.**

**Until next time. . . .**


	6. Chapter 6

**Here's the next chapter guys. Hope you all enjoy it! :) Also, I changed the rating to M. At first it was not going to be an M because this story started out just being a very short story with just a few chapters but as I have continued writing, I feel like an M might be necessary. This chapter contains a little bit of M. Just wanted you all to be aware of that change.**

**I own nothing except the ideas. Although I wish I owned Jace! **

**Chapter 6:**

**C****_hapter Songs:_**

_Ocean Wide by The Afters_

_Not Alone by Augustana_

_Say it Ain't So by Weezer_

_Take Me Away by Lifehouse_

**Jace:**

School starts back for us in a little over a week. Clary seems to be excited one minute and nervous the next. I have no idea why she's nervous. Mom has already arranged for me and Izzy to be with her in every class. That way I can always be near her and ward off unwanted people. I wasn't much of a dater. I was too busy skipping school and drinking and getting into fights. But I know as soon as some of the guys in school get one look at how beautiful Clary is, they'll be all over her and that is something I can't allow.

I pull up at Clary's house to have dinner with her and her mom. I knock on the door and Jocelyn answers the door.

"Hi, Jace. Come on in. Clary just got out of the shower and will be down in a minute. Make yourself at home while I finish up dinner." she says ushering me into the living room. While I wait, I walk around and look at the pictures displayed throughout the room. As many times as I've been over here, I haven't taken the time to look at them. I see an adorable Clary wearing her mother's high-heeled shoes in one picture. She doesn't look much older than three. Next I see a smiling Clary and birthday cake with a number 6 candle on it. She looks so happy but I can tell she wasn't healthy. She was so small in all of these pictures. I take a deep breath and close my eyes. I have to keep telling myself that she's going to be okay now.

"Hey, Jace." a sweet voice calls behind me. I smile and turn around and my breath gets caught when I see her. She's just too damn beautiful. Too good to be true. I walk up to her and pull her close as I shape my lips to hers.

"I love you." I breathe as I rest my forehead to hers.

She smiles and kisses me again. "I love you, too. Is everything alright?" she asks and I can hear the concern in her voice.

"Everything is perfect now." I say because everything is perfect when she's near.

"Well come on. Dinner's ready and I'm starving." She grins and leads me to the kitchen where Jocelyn has set the table for us. I pull Clary's chair out and sit beside her while her mom sits at the head of the table next to Clary. We all dig in and eat, making small talk all throughout dinner. When we finish, Clary and I do the dishes and clean up the kitchen. Just as we're heading upstairs, Clary's mom calls us back in the living room.

"Could you guys come in for a second? I need to talk to you." she says a little nervously. We sit on the couch across from Jocelyn and lace our hands together.

"Jace. I can't tell you what it means to me that you care for my daughter and that you were willing to donate your kidney to save her. I want you to know that you will forever be a part of our family and I completely trust you to take care of my baby. And Clary. I trust you and Jace to be responsible with your relationship. I want you to go out and live, sweetheart because now you can. As much as I would love to keep you locked up safe, I know I can't and you deserve to experience life and everything that comes with it. Jace, any time you want to stay over, you can and Clary any time you want to stay with the Lightwoods, you can. I just want you to be happy, and I love you both." Jocelyn finishes with a tears in her eyes and a happy smile on her face.

Clary gets up and hugs her mom tight. "I love you too, mom. Thank you so much for everything." Clary tells her and I go to hug her too.

"Yes, thank you Jocelyn. I'll always take care of Clary." I state firmly.

"Go on you two. Go out and have fun. Just call me later if you aren't coming home."

"Okay. Bye Mom." Clary calls out and leads me to the door. We walk outside and I open my car door for her. I go around and climb in and turn to her.

"Where to m'lady?"

Clary giggles and kisses me on the mouth. "I want to go to your house. What do you think about me spending the night?" she asks shyly.

I grin and tuck a curl behind her ear. "I think I would love it." I start the car and drive to my house. When we get there, I lead her to my room. Isabelle is out with Simon tonight and Alec and Magnus are who knows where, so it's just us for now. I pull Clary to my bed and we lie down. I face her and just look at her, memorizing everything about her. She looks at me like she's doing the same. We stay like this until she breaks the silence.

"Jace? Can I ask you something?" she asks quietly.

"Of course."

"It's about sex."

I look at her and can't help being amused at her forwardness and innocence. "Okay, what about it?"

"Well, as you know you were my first kiss….actually you've been my first everything. I want you to be my first for that, too. But I'm a little scared. Not because I'm not ready because I think I am, but I'm afraid I'll disappoint you. I don't ever want to do that." she says and I can't believe she thinks I could ever be disappointed with her.

"Baby, listen to me. You could never disappoint me. It's not like I have tons of experience with this. Besides I love you. What we have is special, Clary." I tell her and kiss her gently on the lips.

"What was your first time like?" she asks. I just look at her for a second. Most girls would never want to talk about their boyfriend's previous sexual experiences but Clary is genuinely curious and doesn't seem bothered in the least about this.

"Well, I had just turned sixteen and one of my friends had gotten me a fake ID. I went to a club and got very drunk. One of the waitresses kept flirting with me and when her shift was over, she pulled me into the storage room and we did it in there. After that, she became obsessive and started showing up everywhere I went. One day, she broke into our house and mom had her arrested. That's when I had to come clean about the whole thing. Turns out, she was nineteen and could have gotten in a lot of trouble for doing that with me, being underage. I was just as much to blame as her though. Dad, being an attorney got a restraining order against her which she broke and was arrested. After that ordeal, I decided I didn't need all that drama so I just focused on getting fucked up. Clary, I'm not proud of my past, but I want you to know that that life _is_ in the past. I haven't drank a drop since I met you or gotten into a fight and I won't mess this up. I promise that when we are ready for that, it will not be like my experience. It will be special because we love each other and I think it will make the connection we have even stronger. I love you so much, baby." I spill everything to her.

"I love you too, Jace. I know it will be special." she says and then frowns. "I wish you had a better experience for your first time. Hopefully your second time will make up for it. And I promise not to go all psycho bitch on you either." she says with a grin.

I laugh and shake my head. "God, I love you." I bring her closer and kiss her slow and long. When we break apart for air, Clary looks up at me.

"Could we just work our way up to that? You know just take it slow?" she asks uncertainly.

"Yeah, of course we can." I tell her. My fingertips skimming her cheek.

"Okay. Can we start with taking my shirt off?"

I swallow hard. I nod my head and run my hands down her sides until I reach the hem of her shirt. I pause momentarily and then slowly pull it up exposing her stomach, ribs, and then her bra. I keep going until I pull it all the way off of her and toss it to the floor. She never takes her eyes off of me as she shakily slides the straps of her bra down her arms. I reach behind her and unclip it and let it fall between us. I look into her wide eyes. She looks worried. I lean in and kiss her.

"You are so beautiful, Clary." I whisper against her lips. I kiss her again and she relaxes against me and tugs on my shirt. I lift it over my head and throw it like I did hers. She runs her hands down my chest and abs leaving a trail of heat and I shiver under her touch.

"Will you touch me?" she asks, her voice barely above a whisper.

_Jesus!_ I place my palm over her right breast and let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. I squeeze it gently and pinch her hard nipple making Clary let out a soft moan. This makes me even bolder and I place small open-mouthed kisses around the other breast until I get to the nipple. I glance up at her and see her enjoying this so I take her nipple in my mouth and swirl my tongue around it. It feels like silk in my mouth. I moan around it and Clary's back arches bringing her boobs closer to me. I continue to knead and squeeze one as I assault the other with my mouth.

"Oh God, Jace." she breathes out making me feel like I might go crazy. The way she says my name makes my whole body feel like it's on fire. I leave her boobs and kiss my way up to her lips and kiss her with desire and love. I slow the kiss down and peck her lips a few times. When I pull back I see her smiling brightly at me. I can't help smiling back seeing her so happy.

"Thank you. That was amazing." she says cuddling up close to me and lying her head on my chest. I wrap my arms around her and memorize the feel of her skin against mine.

"Yes it was." I say content to lie here the rest of the night with her by my side.

"Next time, the pants go." she says through a yawn and I smile and kiss the top of her head. Soon her breathing evens out and I know she's asleep so I just lie there running my hands through her hair and relishing this moment with her.

~o.O.o~

**Jace:**

Today is the first day of school and Clary stayed the night. We've been spending the night together several times a week, whether here at my house or at her house. We haven't done anything more than heavily make-out, just exploring each other's bodies. And I love exploring her body! She just left my room to get ready with Isabelle. I lie in bed for a few more seconds and then get up to take a shower. Clary didn't sleep well last night. She kept tossing and turning. I think she's just so excited to be starting school. Her excitement has rubbed off on all of us. We are all excited to start our senior year. I get dressed and go downstairs to wait for Clary and Isabelle.

A whopping hour and ten minutes later, they come down the stairs together laughing. I get up and when Clary comes into view, I stop and just stare at her. She looks gorgeous. Now I'm nervous. I don't want her to attract attention from the guys in our school.

"Well, what do you think? Do I look like a high school senior?" she asks smiling innocently.

"I think you look amazing." I tell her honestly. "By the way, I am not leaving your side for a minute. You are way too hot and I don't want other guys to try to talk to you."

"Are you the jealous type, Jace?" she asks amused.

"Hell yeah I am. You are mine." I grab her waist and pull her against me and kiss her. She smiles against my mouth and pecks me on the lips again.

"I am definitely yours, so no worries." She kisses me again and Isabelle clears her throat.

We turn to her and she is smiling and rolling her eyes. "Come on lovebirds. It's time to go." she says and we grab our stuff and leave.

We park in the student lot and get out of the car. Clary gets out and stares up at the building. Her eyes get big and her mouth falls open. She seems to be taking in everything as fast as she can. Isabelle and I watch her and enjoy seeing her so happy. She turns to us with a gigantic smile on her beautiful face.

"Oh my God!" she squeals. "I can't believe I get to go here. And I get a locker! Come on. I want to see the inside."

She grabs my hand and the three of us walk in together. Clary looks around at the students, the trophy cases, the murals painted on the walls, and when we get to the lockers, she practically bursts with excitement. I chuckle at her enthusiasm. I notice a lot of students staring at us, mostly at Clary. I give death glares to all the guys who look our way as we continue to find our lockers. We get to Clary's and I show her how to open it.

"Would you like to share the locker?" I ask her when she practices opening it herself.

"Yeah. You can bunk with me." she says cheerfully. I throw in my things and we get our books out for the first class. Isabelle has gone a few doors down and comes back to walk with us. On the way, we see Jordan and Maia. Maia hugs Clary and wishes her luck before they make their way down the hall. The day continues like this. Clary meets several people in our classes. They all seem friendly with her. The guys steer clear, which is good because I swore not to fight anymore. Tonight, Isabelle and I will stay over at Clary's house. I think I'm going to like school now that I have Clary by my side.

~o.O.o~

**Clary:**

The last few weeks have flown by. I LOVE school! I love everything about it. I have gone to all the football games, pep rallies, and anything else school related. Jace has joked that he has never been so involved in school until I came along. Now I drag him to everything I can. I want to experience it all. Everyone seems to have accepted me and for that I am glad. No drama so far and that makes me very happy.

Today, I am sitting at the lunch table while Jace gets our food for us. No one else has come in yet so it's just me at the table. A girl I have a few classes with comes and sits across from me. I think her name is Aline.

"Hey Clary." she says smiling sweetly at me.

"Hi." I say back with a smile.

"I haven't really had a chance to talk to you. So how come I haven't seen you before this year? Did you just move here?"

"No, but I've been home schooled for the last several years." I tell her.

"How'd you get to know the Lightwoods so good then if you've been home schooled?" she asks curiously.

"Um, well….I was really sick and needed a kidney transplant but my blood type is rare and the doctors couldn't find me a donor. I was sent to live at a facility to receive daily treatments when one of my kidneys failed. The place I was sent to stay at is ran by Jace and Isabelle's mom. I met Jace there when he came to help his mom out. He introduced me to Isabelle and our other friends. After a while, my other kidney was about to fail, but Jace donated his kidney to save me. We both have the same rare blood type. We just got even closer after that." I say with a shrug.

"Wow that is quite a story. It's sweet. You obviously like him a lot…. Do you ever wonder if Jace is with you because he feels obligated with everything you went through? I would feel obligated to that person." she says with a small smile.

I never thought about that way. "I don't know. I haven't thought about it like that." I tell her. My eyebrows coming together in confusion.

"Well it's certainly something to think about don't you think? I mean you wouldn't want him to feel like that forever. Anyway, it was good to finally talk to you. See you later, Clary." she says and walks away out of the cafeteria. I stare after her.

Do I think that? I don't know. He was always so nice to me when I was sick. What if he just felt sorry for me and then when he saved me, he feels like he has to stay with me. I don't want him to feel like he _has_ to do anything. Just then Jace returns with a tray of food for me.

"Here, you go, baby. I got you a sandwich. It was the only thing that was identifiable." he says with a small laugh. I smile back and take a bite of my sandwich. My stomach turns and I push the tray away.

"I'm not really hungry. I left something in my locker so I'll just see you in class." I say as I stand up.

"Clary, are you okay?" he asks with concern that just makes me wonder if he is really worried or feels like he should worry.

"Yeah. I'm fine. I'll see you in a little while." I turn and walk out of the cafeteria and go straight to the music room where my next class is.

~o.O.o~

**Jace:**

I watch Clary walk out. Something changed in her from the time I left her to get our food to when I got back. Isabelle plops down across from me and I turn to look at her.

"Where's Clary?" she asks and I can tell something is bothering her too.

"I don't know. She said something about going to her locker and meeting me in class. She wouldn't eat." I say gesturing to her untouched meal.

"I think we have a problem. I overheard Aline and her skanks talking in the bathroom just now and I think Aline said something to Clary." Isabelle tells me.

"What did Aline say to her?" I can feel my anger coming on.

"She said that is was a shame to plant the seed of doubt in Clary because she seems really nice and has gone through so much, but you deserved to be with a real woman. She wants you Jace, and she said something to Clary to make her doubt your relationship." Isabelle explains.

"Well, I'll just tell her that Aline is ridiculous and not to believe her." I say about to get up to find Clary.

Isabelle shakes her head. "That's not going to work. She needs you to show her. Girls have to be shown sometimes, not just told."

I think about this for a minute. How can I show her that she shouldn't doubt us? We have music class next and I'm supposed to sing. I could sing a song to her.

"Do you think if I sing a song to her in class today that that will show her?" I ask Isabelle as the bell rings to go to class. We stand up and begin walking to music.

"I think that's a great idea, Jace. What are you going to sing?"

"I don't know yet." I say thinking about the perfect song to sing to her. I walk in and see Clary already there bent over her sketchpad drawing. Her pencil moving across her paper rapidly. I sit down beside her and she doesn't look up.

I don't say anything. I just let her draw and think of what to sing. Several people go up and sing and then I hear my name being called. Clary looks up at me and I give her a smile. She smiles back but it doesn't reach her eyes so I know it's fake. I go up to Mrs. Starkweather and ask if I can change the song I was going to sing and she obliges. I take the guitar and a stool and sit down on it. I adjust the guitar in my lap and I look right at Clary.

**This time…all I want is you…there is no one else…who can take your place**

**This time…you burn me with your eyes…you see past all the lies…you take it all away**

**I've seen it all and it's never enough…it keeps leaving me needing you**

**Take me away…take me away…I've got nothing left to say…just take me away**

My eyes never waver from hers and she doesn't look away. I pour all of my emotions into this song hoping that she sees. Hoping that this proves to her what she means to me.

**I try to make my way to you…but still I feel so lost…I don't know what else I can do**

**I've seen it all and it's never enough…it keeps leaving me needing you**

**Take me away…take me away…I've got nothing left to say…just take me away**

**Don't give up on me yet…don't forget who I am**

**I know I'm not there yet…but don't let me stay here alone**

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Aline with a scowl and I inwardly smile knowing my song is affecting her little plan. I will never want anyone other than Clary.

**This time…all I want is you…there is no one else…who can take your place**

**I've seen it all and it's never enough…it keeps leaving me needing you**

**Take me away…take me away…I've got nothing left to say…just take me away**

I finish the song and I walk straight to Clary. I kneel down beside her and take her hands in mine.

"Don't ever doubt what we have, Clary. No one knows us. No one knows what we are to each other and no one knows what I feel except me and you. Okay?"

She has tears in her eyes and she smiles and this time it's a real smile not a fake one. "Okay. And you're right. I'm sorry." she says softly. I kiss her on the head and sit back in my chair.

I hear one of Aline's followers say, "I don't think your plan worked." Then I hear Isabelle. "Oh it definitely didn't work. You might as well get it through your head Aline that those two are not giving each other up for anything. Get over it." I smile at my sister. I am so thankful I was able to convince her. I would be nothing without her.

**So there it is! As always I want to thank my wonderful and talented friend m1129 for your amazing advice. I can't thank you enough! What did you all think? Is the music okay or is it too distracting? Please let me know! :) **

**Review and until next time. . . .**


	7. Chapter 7

**Okay guys! Here's chapter 7 and I think this one may have been my favorite to write. I hope you like it as much as I did. Thank you m1129 for proofing for me and making me a better writer. Love ya, girl! Anyway - on to the chapter!**

**I do not own the characters or music but I sure do wish I did!**

**Chapter 7:**

**_Chapter Songs:_**

_Today by Willamette Stone (I totally took this from the movie If I Stay)_

_Blue, Blue Moon by Hurricane Bells_

_Fire by Augustana_

_Be Still by The Fray_

_A Drop in the Ocean by Ron Pope_

**Jace:**

The holidays are upon us and today is one of those rare days where mom leaves the institute in the hands of her staff and dad takes a day off to spend some time with us. Alec and Magnus have come over to eat with us, as well as Simon, Jordan, and Maia. Clary, her mom, and Luke are coming too. Jocelyn and Luke are finally dating. Clary told me that she always knew those two had feelings for each other, but her mom wouldn't live her life when Clary couldn't. Now that Clary is going to be okay, Jocelyn has been seeing Luke for a couple of months now.

After we all eat, the adults go to the living room and we all head to the music room to mess around. We walk in laughing and enjoying being together. Clary stops in the middle of the room with her mouth hanging open. She turns to me beaming.

"You guys have a cello?" she asks excitedly.

"Yeah, why? Do you play?"

She nods and walks over to it running her fingers across it.

"Is there an instrument you don't play?" Isabelle asks sitting down on Simon's lap. Everyone sits in various places around the room. Clary sticks her tongue out at her.

"Yes, there are plenty I don't play. I can't play the drums. I only play the guitar, piano, violin, and the cello" she says and I swear she amazes me.

"Mom made us all take up an instrument. I took violin lessons, Alec learned the bass, and Jace was already taking piano when he came to live with us so he continued that before teaching himself the guitar." Isabelle replies.

I grab my guitar. "Well, let's see what you got, Clary." I tell her with smirk. She looks at me and raises an eyebrow at me.

"Game on." she says and goes to sit behind the cello.

I start strumming the guitar, playing a song I know she knows. She closes her eyes and listens to me for a few seconds and then starts running the bow across the strings. She opens her eyes and smiles at me. And then Jordan picks up the banjo and joins in with us and I start singing.

**Today is the greatest, day I've ever known.**

**Can't live for tomorrow, tomorrow's much too long.**

**I'll burn my eyes out, before I get out.**

Everyone joins in singing with me while Clary, Jordan, and I play.

**I wanted more, than life could ever bring me.**

**Bored by the chore, of saving fates.**

**Today is the greatest, day I've ever known.**

**Can't wait for tomorrow, I might not have that long.**

**I'll tear my heart out, before I get out.**

I watch Clary play. It's beautiful to watch her. She closes her eyes and smiles playing with so much emotion. I think I fell for her a little more watching her play

**Today is the greatest, today is the greatest, day**

**Today is the greatest, day**

**That I have ever…known.**

Everyone cheers and claps and we notice mom and dad, and Jocelyn and Luke have come in to watch us goof off. I go up to Clary and pull her to me.

"That was incredible. I didn't know you could play that well. You are so talented. I love you so much." I tell her in her ear.

She blushes and kisses me on the cheek. "Well there are some things you still have to learn about me." she says and I can't wait to find them out. This is one of those days, with all of us together, that I will never forget.

~o.O.o~

**Clary:**

Today is Christmas and mom and I are getting ready to go over to the Lightwood's. Mom has been cooking all morning and I have been wrapping last minute presents. I got Isabelle a spa day at her favorite spa. It comes complete with massage, nails, facial, and waxing. She's going to love it. I got all of my friends some small presents that they will sure to love and for Jace, I had some trouble with. What do you give someone who is so important to you? Someone who saved your life and continues to save you every day. I love him so much that sometimes it actually hurts. I decided I would give him a scrapbook of sorts. I have drawn every moment that we have had together since we met. I've drawn him the way I see him, through my eyes. This is a memory book, so he'll never forget a moment that we've shared. I hope he likes it. I don't really have much money so this is what I came up with that is meaningful to us both.

"Ready, Clary?" mom asks carrying out two casserole dishes while I grab the gifts.

"Yep. Let's go." We load our stuff in mom's car and we drive the short distance to the Lightwood's.

"Look at the sky. It might just snow after all." mom comments as we walk to the door and knock. Isabelle answers and beckons us to come in. Mom carries the casseroles to the kitchen and Isabelle and I take the presents to the family room.

"Don't go up there." Isabelle says pointing to the stairs. "Jace is wrapping your present and he told me to occupy you for a while." she says pulling me over to the couch.

"Is Simon coming, too?"

"Yeah, but not until later. He's got his own family thing going on." she says with a pout. I nod my head and then Maryse comes in and asks us to help her and mom set the table. A few minutes later, Luke arrives and he and Robert stand around chatting while we get the food ready. Alec and Magnus come downstairs. I finish setting the table and I feel warm strong arms snake around me and I lean into a muscled chest.

"Merry Christmas, baby." a whispered voice purrs in my ear. I close my eyes and smile.

"Mmmm….Merry Christmas Alec." I tease. He whips me around with wide eyes. I can't help busting out laughing at his shocked face.

"I'm kidding you idiot." I ruffle his hair and lean up to kiss him. He kisses me back and gently bites my lip.

"That was so not funny." he says with a pout.

"Yes it was, but I'm sorry. You know your arms are the only ones I want around me." I tell him looking up through my lashes at him and biting my lip.

"Ugh. You know that turns me on when you look at me like that." he groans and pulls me into the hallway to thoroughly kiss me senseless. When he finally releases my mouth, I am panting like a dog.

"Good God, Jace. You've got to stop that or I might have to take you upstairs and…."

"Dinner's ready!" Isabelle calls out.

I smile at Jace with his mouth hanging open. "And what?" he asks.

I pat his cheek. "I guess you'll have to wait and see." I say before going around him to join everyone for dinner. Jace comes in after me and he looks slightly flushed. I grin at him and he glares at me but I can tell he loved the innuendo I provided for him.

After we eat and everything is clean. We all go in the family room and exchange presents. Isabelle got me a picture frame with four pictures in it. One is of me and Jace smiling at each other the night I met everyone for the first time. One is me looking shocked at my birthday party with Jace in the background watching me with a small smile on his face. He looks like he looks at me now. He couldn't possibly have loved me then. Another is of all of us at 'prom'. The last one is of me and Jace in the hospital room on two different beds asleep but holding hands. I feel tears sting the backs of my eyes and one finally slips past my lids.

"Oh, Isabelle. I love it. Thank you." I tell her and get up to hug her.

"Merry Christmas, Clary." she says and I give her the gift from me. She opens it and squeals.

"Thank you, Clary. Oh, I can't wait to do this." she gushes at me. I smile and cuddle back up against Jace. Everyone finishes opening their presents and Jace leans over to whisper in my ear.

"I want to give you a present but it's upstairs. Do you want to go exchange presents now?" he asks. I nod and we get up. I hug mom and tell her I'm staying. She smiles and nods. I take Jace's hand and we walk upstairs to his room. I go in and sit on his bed holding his present. He comes and sits beside me and hands me my present.

"You first." I tell him nervously. He smiles and takes it from me. He tears into the paper and opens it to the first page. He inhales a deep breath and keeps flipping the pages taking in every detail. I begin to nervously bite my lip. He hasn't said one word yet. When he finishes, he closes it and just holds it and looks to the floor. I swallow the lump in my throat.

"Jace….I –"

He cuts me off with his mouth on mine. He kisses me deeply and lovingly. When he pulls back he has tears in his eyes. He cups my cheeks and rests his head on mine.

"God, Clary….I love it. I don't even know what to say. I can't tell you how I'm feeling right now because there are no words to describe it. I just love you so much." he stammers out. I let out a breath.

"I love you, too, Jace. I'm glad you like it. Now I believe it's my turn to open a present." He nods and smiles and I start tearing into the paper. I open the box and see a beautiful necklace nestled inside. I gently pick it up and look at it. It is gold and has a diamond heart hanging off the end. It has to be a couple of carots and very expensive. I look to Jace shocked that he spent so much money.

"This was my mother's. After she died, I was given all of her jewelry. Maryse had it put away for me until I needed it. I remember my mom wearing this. She told me one day I would find someone to give my heart to and when I did to give her this necklace. Clary I give you my heart. It's yours forever." he says staring into my teary eyes.

He takes the necklace and puts it around my neck. I reach up to touch it where it lies in the valley above my breasts. I don't know what to say so I pull him to me and kiss him with every ounce of love I can. I move to straddle him and he places both hands at my waist.

"Jace….I love you." I say in between kisses. "I have one more present for you." He cocks his head to the side and I get off of him. I reach for the hem of my sweater dress and pull it off. Jace's eyes rake over my body. I stand in between his legs and lean down to kiss him, opening his mouth with mine and exploring his mouth with my tongue.

"Jace, I'm ready to give all of myself to you. I want us to be connected even more. I love you." I say in a hushed voice. He picks me up and lies me down on the bed. He settles between my legs, hovering over me. I reach for his shirt and he pulls it over his head. I trace every muscle all the way down his stomach until I reach the buttons of his jeans.

"Clary, are you sure? We can wait…." he whispers, tucking a curl behind my ear.

"Jace, I've never been more sure of anything." I reassure him. He kisses me until I am breathless, taking my bra off at the same time. He slips out of his jeans and lies down beside me. His hands roam all over my body and then he slowly pulls my panties down my legs. He kisses my scar and moves his eyes to find mine and I give him a small nod. He moves in between my legs and reaches to the side table. I stop him.

"I'm on the pill." I tell him, my voice slightly shaking. He licks his lips and kisses me. I can feel him at my entrance. He takes a deep breath and pushes in. I feel a pinching pain, but it's bearable. Then he goes in further and the pain worsens to the point where I gasp. He stops and kisses my face, neck, and lips.

"I'm sorry. I love you. I love you so much." he tells me over and over. I kiss him back and after a moment the pain dulls and I want him to move.

"Okay. Keep going." I whisper and he begins moving in and out. After a moment, I feel a different sensation, one that is not at all unpleasant. I moan and pull Jace closer to me. He continues his movements and kisses my neck where he is buried.

"Oh, God…." I gasp when I feel a tightening below my belly button. My hips meet his with each thrust and he groans and says my name.

"Jace…." And then I feel a hot explosion and Jace shudder above me. He slumps down on me and I hold him tight as he slows his movements down. We are both breathing rapidly. Jace picks his head up off of my chest and kisses it. He rolls off of me bringing me with him until we are both lying on our sides facing one another. He gives me a lazy smile and he looks so completely done over. I'm sure I look the same. I smile back at him.

"Are you okay?" he asks kissing my lips.

"I'm fantastic. I feel so amazing right now." I tell him honestly and I can't fight the smile from breaking across my face.

"I do too. I love you. Come here. Let's get some sleep." he tells me with a kiss.

"Okay. Goodnight, Jace." I tell him sleepily. I give him a chaste kiss.

"Night, baby." he whispers against my mouth. We cuddle up together and fall asleep in each other's arms.

~o.O.o~

**Jace:**

I wake up to an empty bed but the sheets are still warm so I know Clary hasn't been up too long. I stretch and grin to myself thinking about last night and being with Clary. My bathroom door opens and out walks Clary. She is completely naked. I feel myself getting harder just looking at her. She notices that I'm awake and she blushes and tries to cover herself up.

I get up and reach for her. "You're beautiful." I kiss her. "And sexy." I kiss her again. "And I am so in love with you and I love how you look." I tell her before kissing her breathless. I pull her back to the bed and we lie down together.

"I swear, I could do this forever. Go to sleep with you every night and wake up with you every morning. And it's just a bonus if we're both naked." I tell her with a grin.

Clary slaps my chest lightly. "Perv." she says laughing.

"I'm serious. This is how I want it to be for the rest of my life." I kiss her on the head. "One day, I'm going to marry you." I say completely serious.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." We lie together for a long time and then I hear people stirring around the house and I know it's time to get up.

I groan and begin pulling Clary up with me. "We need to get up."

"I'm starving anyway. You want me to fix you some breakfast?" she asks kissing me lightly on the mouth.

I nod and pull on my jeans and shirt. I grab the box of condoms from my drawer beside my bed.

"What are you doing with those?" Clary asks with her head cocked to the side.

I grin over at her. "I'm giving them to Izzy. I don't need them do I?" I ask grabbing her by the waist and pulling her to my chest. Neither of us can stop smiling today.

"No, you don't need them." she says with a sly smile.

We leave my room and make our way downstairs to the kitchen. I grab some food out of the pantry while Clary gets things out of the fridge. When I turn around I hear a gasp. I look at Clary and she is staring out the window with a gigantic smile. I walk up beside her and look out to see what is making her so happy. All you can see is white. It snowed in the middle of the night and has covered everything.

"Snow." she whispers and turns her gaze to me. I smile at her and reach over to kiss her.

"After we eat, we'll get all bundled up and go outside. Would you like that?" I ask as I take her hands in mine. She nods and looks back out the window. I just love how excited she gets with everything. Mom and dad come in followed by Alec who smiles over at me like he knows what Clary and I did last night. I raise my eyebrows at him and he gives me a mischievous grin. Clary begins making breakfast and mom helps her. Dad grabs some coffee and goes to read the paper. I gesture for Alec to follow me in the hall.

"What?" I ask when we are out of ear shot.

"How was your night?" he asks wagging his eyebrows.

"Fine. Why?" I ask narrowing my eyes at him.

"Oh, did anything, I don't know, interesting happen?" he asks with a shrug.

"Okay. Just spit it out." I tell him getting irritated.

"I know about you and Clary. I was coming out of the bathroom and heard you guys." I swallow nervously. "Don't worry. No one else knows. But did you have fun?" he asks smiling widely.

I look down and feel my face heat up. "Yeah, I did. I'll never want anyone else as long as I live, you know? She's everything to me." I admit.

Alec claps me on the back. "I'm glad you found her. I love you both." he tells me and we man hug before going back into the kitchen. When I walk in, my eyes instantly fall on Clary and I feel my mouth tug up in a smile. She feels my eyes on her and looks over her shoulder and smiles at me. _God, I love her!_

After we eat, Clary goes to wake Isabelle up and rummage in her closet for warm clothes to put on so we can play in the snow. I go to my room and throw on more layers. A few minutes later, we are heading outside to play in the snow. At first we walk around enjoying the beauty of the freshly fallen snow. We walk to the park behind the institute and I pull her to me and kiss her cold nose.

She looks around and laughs. "Just a few months ago, I sat over there watching some teenagers goofing off over here and wondering what it would be like to do that. Now I'm one of those teenagers. Now I get to goof off with my friends and I get to make-out with my boyfriend." she says looking up at me through her lashes and smirking a sexy little smile. She leans up and brushes her lips against mine.

"I love you, Jace." she says sweetly. I smile against her mouth.

"I love you, too, baby." I say and open my mouth to deepen the kiss. I kiss her passionately until she's flushed and out of breath. She bites her lip to hide her smile and I grab her hand and we start walking again. Just as we get to my yard, she bends down and picks up some snow and looks at me with a devilish smile. I shake my head and start backing up. She throws the snow and it hits me right in the eye.

I wipe it away and see her laughing. "You are so going to regret that." I tell her as I scoop up some snow and throw it at her. She ducks and it barely grazes her head. We continue this, running around the yard and throwing snowballs at each other until we're too cold and wet to go on. I lead her inside where Isabelle is waiting for us by the fire with hot cocoa. This has been the best Christmas I can remember having. I smile over my steaming mug at her and she smiles back giving me a wink. I hope we have many more holidays like this one.

**Tell me what you think? Was it too soon for them to - you know? Please review and let me know and I'm always open to suggestions. I'm going on vacation for a week and I might not be able to update the next chapter until after I get back. **

**Until next time. . . .**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello from the beach! I am very thankful that I was able to finish this chapter while relaxing by the pool watching the waves crash. Don't be jealous... Anyway thank you all to those who have reviewed. Your encouraging words mean the world to me! I'm so glad you all liked the last chapter as much as I did. Hope you like this one as well. **

**Enjoy!**

**I do not in any way try to claim any of these characters or music as my own.**

**Chapter 8:**

**_Chapter Songs:_**

_Angels by Augustana_

_Blow by Kesha_

_Problem by Ariana Grande &amp; Iggy Azalea_

_By Your Side by Sada_

_If You Were Here by Cary Brothers_

**Jace:**

The holidays are over and it was the best I have ever had. Clary and I, as well as the rest of the gang have been looking over and applying for college. We have all decided to stay in the city. I can't believe that our senior year is coming to an end. I wish Clary had more time to enjoy high school, but I am extremely thankful that she got what she did and she can enjoy the entire four years of college. We have just finished filling out another application. I sit back in my chair and glance over at Clary.

She notices me looking at her and she smiles before turning to me. "What's on your mind, babe?" she asks and I laugh lightly. She knows me so well.

"Where do you want to live when we go to college? I mean, do you want to live in the dorms on campus wherever we go, or do you want to live off-campus in an apartment? Are you and Izzy and Maia rooming together, or….?" I ask trailing off at the end because nothing would make me happier than for us to live together but at the same time, I want her to have every experience so if that means dorm life then I will accept that.

"I don't know. I've thought about living in the dorms, but I've also thought about the lack of privacy the dorms provide so an apartment might be nice for that. What about you? Have you put any thought into what you want to do?" she asks putting the pressure back on me. Oh, she's good.

"Yeah, I've thought about it." I say and rub the back of my neck. I look at her. "I would love for us to live together, Clary, but I also don't want you to miss out on anything. So if you want to live in the dorms or with the girls, then I would be okay with that. I just want you to be happy and nothing would change between us." I tell her and lean over to peck her perfect lips. She kisses me back and takes my hand in hers.

"I love you, Jace Lightwood. I would love to live with you. And don't worry about me missing out on anything. As long as I have you, I have everything." she states simply. I can't help the smile from forming on my face. I pull her up and sit her down in my lap. I hold her face and kiss her, plunging my tongue in her mouth and exploring relentlessly. She breaks away breathless.

"I love you, too, baby. So I guess we need to look for a place to live?"

"I think we do. Maybe everyone else could live nearby. It's going to be strange not seeing them every day. I'm going to miss them." she says sadly.

"I know but we'll still see them some." I try to reassure her and kiss her in the space behind her ear. I know she loves that. I feel her sigh and I smile.

"I need you to take me to your house so Izzy can get me ready for Aline's birthday party tonight." she says while running her hands through my hair at the base of my neck. I scowl at the mention of Aline, but Clary is more forgiving than me. Aline's birthday is today and her very rich father has rented a club in town for her birthday. She's invited the entire school. I don't really care to go but Clary doesn't want to miss out on a high school party, so we're going.

I sigh and squeeze her to me tightly before letting her get up from my lap. "Okay, let's go." We leave her house and arrive at mine in less than ten minutes. Clary goes into Isabelle's room after giving me a quick peck on the lips. It was too quick for my liking. I go to the game room and see Jordan and Simon in there playing Call of Duty.

"Hey." I say to them as I sit on the floor in front of the coffee table. They nod at me and grunt a hello. Jordan beats Simon and Simon throws the controller down and pouts. I can't help but laugh at his expression.

"So you guys ready for this awesome birthday party tonight?" I ask. My voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Maia's brother, Bat, is the DJ there. He'll be working tonight." Jordan says and we nod and play another game. After a while, I go up to my room to change clothes and when I pass Isabelle's room, I hear them talking.

"Jace isn't going to be able to keep his hands off of you tonight, Clary. You look amazingly hot." I hear Isabelle tell Clary. Now my interest in tonight is peaked. Maybe it won't be so bad after all.

"I don't know about that, but I do look better than my regular self." Clary says and I shake my head. She just doesn't see herself the way others do. Especially me.

"Come on, Clary. You always look awesome. Since you came into Jace's life, I don't think he has so much as glanced at anyone else. All he sees is you." Maia tells her and I nod my head. That is true.

"Aww. Look at that blush." Isabelle says with a laugh. I smile and go to my room. A few minutes later, I emerge from my room just as the girls leave Izzy's. My breath catches in my throat and I can't help my jaw from dropping at seeing Clary.

"We're going to find our guys. We leave in ten minutes." Isabelle tells us as we stare at each other. As soon as they turn the corner I take three strides toward her and stop just before her.

"God, you're so beautiful." I wrap my arms around her and pull her flush against me and moan when I can feel her. I bend down and kiss her bare shoulder. She's wearing short white shorts and an off the shoulder dark green top that makes her eyes shine like emeralds. Her hair is down and hangs in loose curls halfway down her back. Her smell is so intoxicating that I'm tempted to kidnap her for the night and stay in my room. "You have no idea what you do to me."

Her mouth is on mine and we kiss with a hungry passion. I back her up against the wall and continue to assault her mouth and neck.

"We need to get downstairs." she says breathlessly.

"I don't want to. I want to take you to my room and have my way with you." I tell her and feel her shiver.

"I promise you can do that later. In fact, you can do whatever you want with me after the party." she tells me. Her voice so damn sexy when she's out of breath like this. I raise up from her neck and look at her with my eyebrow raised.

"Whatever I want?" She nods and bites her lip. "You've got yourself a deal, baby. Now come on, let's get this party over with already." I take her hand and pull her down the stairs to where everyone is waiting.

"Come on, people. Let's hurry and get there." I say as I open the front door.

"Wow. Someone seems excited about the party now." Simon pipes in. I shake my head.

"Nah. I'm excited about the after party." I say with a grin and look at Clary. She blushes and looks down.

"What after party? I didn't know about an after party." Isabelle says with a pout.

"Oh this is a private party. Only Clary and I are attending." I say, smirking at Clary. She hits my chest and narrows her eyes at me.

"Oh. Ew, Jace." Isabelle shouts. Everyone laughs and Clary giggles into my chest where I pulled her close to me. We all get into our cars and drive to the club.

We arrive at the club and are greeted by Aline herself. She has pasted herself in a skin tight dress that looks three sizes too small. She is hanging on the arm of a dark haired boy I've never seen. I roll my eyes and pull Clary tighter to my side.

"Hey guys! I'm so glad you could make it tonight. This is my boyfriend, Sebastian." Aline introduces and then leans towards us and whispers, "He's in college." She stands straighter and gestures to all of us. "These are some of my friends from school." Sebastian just nods and looks utterly bored to be at a high school party. We continue on into the club and find a booth big enough to fit us all. Maia and Jordan go say hi to her brother who is on stage in the back playing the music. A waitress comes over and takes our drink order and we sit there and talk. After a while, Izzy and Maia drag Clary off to dance while the guys and I look on. I smile because Clary is having so much fun. I get up and grab her by the waist. We dance a few songs together and then go back to our booth to sit down.

"Are you having fun, baby?" I ask as we get our drinks refilled. I never thought I would ever come to a club and stay completely sober, but I haven't once missed it or have any desire to drink again. When I'm with Clary, nothing else matters.

"I am! This is my first high school party." She leans over and kisses me chastely on the mouth. "Thank you. I know you didn't really want to come tonight but you did it for me. You are way too good to me." she says and kisses me again before pulling away and taking a sip of her drink.

"Nah. You deserve to have it all. I love you and I'll always do whatever I can for you." I tell her as I place a curl behind her ear. She smiles at me and Isabelle comes over and takes Clary's hand.

"We need to liven this party up a bit. Come on, Clary." Isabelle announces and pulls Clary toward the stage, stopping at Aline first. I see Aline nod and Izzy and Clary go up to Maia's brother. I notice Clary looks embarrassed and shakes her head. Isabelle pulls her on stage anyway. I wonder what she's going to be doing. Then the music stops.

"Hey yo! I'm DJ Bat and I have a request for a couple of entertainers to come up here and sing. So give it up for Clary and Isabelle!" he shouts into the microphone. Everyone claps as the music starts. Isabelle starts off and then Clary comes out of the shadows belting out the lyrics.

**_Hey baby, even though I hate ya, I wanna love ya, I want you._**

**_And even though I can't forgive ya, I really want to, I want you._**

**_Tell me, tell me, baby, why did you leave me? _**

**_Cause even though I shouldn't want it, I gotta have it, I want you._**

**_Head in the clouds got no weight on my shoulders. _**

**_I should be wiser and realize what I've got._**

DJ Bat whispers into the microphone and Isabelle sings her part 'One less, one less problem'.

**_I know you're never gonna wake up, I gotta give up, but it's you._**

**_I know I shouldn't ever call back or let you come back, but it's you._**

**_Every time you touch me and say you love me, _**

**_I get a little bit breathless, I shouldn't want it, but it's you._**

**_Head in the clouds got no weight on my shoulders. _**

**_I should be wiser and realize what I've got._**

Everyone in the whole place is cheering and yelling. I look around and see how much fun they're all having. And then Isabelle starts strutting around the stage rapping to Iggy Azalea. Clary sings and I can't believe she can belt out the song as small as she is. She really is amazingly good. Clary and Isabelle dance around the stage capturing the attention of the whole club. The entire place erupts in cheers, screams, and claps for them. They come off stage laughing and hugging one another.

"Let's give it up for Clary and Isabelle!" DJ Bat screams and the place cheers deafeningly loud for them. He starts another song, a much slower song and I grab Clary and pull her to me as we sway back and forth.

"That was incredible. You guys really rocked this place." I tell her and nuzzle my face in her hair, kissing her shoulder every now and then. I feel the heat radiate from her small body against mine.

"Thanks. That was a lot of fun. I didn't want to do it at first, but I'm glad I did." she says and I shiver when her mouth touches my ear. I pull back and rest my head on hers and look into her eyes. I could look into her eyes forever. I smile at her and then she starts singing softly to me.

**_Oh, when you're cold, I'll be there, hold you tight, to me._**

**_When you're on the outside baby and you can't get in, I will show you, you're so much better than you know._**

**_When you're lost and you're alone and you can't get back again, I will find you, darling and I will bring you home._**

She touches my face with her fingertips and brings her lips to mine and continues singing against them.

**_And if you want to cry, I am here to dry your eyes._**

**_and in no time, you'll be fine. _**

The sensation she causes when she does this is enough to drive me crazy. I cut off her singing and kiss her. She brings herself closer to me and I need to get her home now.

"Let's go home." I say in a hoarse voice. She nods and bites her lip. I gesture to the others we're leaving and drive us home. As soon as I get her inside, I pick her up and rush to my room. I lay her on the bed and start slowly undressing her as she does the same to me. Once we're completely free of any barriers I lie down beside her and caress her beautiful body.

"I plan on worshipping your body all night, baby. Starting with your lips and making my way down." I tell her as my mouth descends on hers. She whispers my name as I kiss slowly along her jaw to her neck, and then to her ear. I lick and suck and bite my way down to her breasts. I gently squeeze them and put one in my mouth causing me to moan at the feel of her perfect breasts in my mouth. Clary's heart is hammering in her chest and I smile against her skin knowing what I'm doing to her is driving her crazy. I keep moving down until I reach below her belly button. I lick my way to her center causing her to shutter. I pull her legs apart and slowly lick up her center and swirl my tongue around and around. She's panting and gripping the sheets hard. I keep up my ministrations on her until I feel her tighten up and shake. I lap up the moisture I caused and make my way back up to her and she grabs on to my throbbing member. I groan and throw my head back. She runs her thumb along the tip and kisses along my neck to my collarbone. I can't take it anymore. I thrust into her and I feel my eyes roll back into my head at the feel of her around me.

"God, baby….I….love….you….so much." I choke out. I keep going harder and deeper. Clary reaches around my neck and pulls my mouth to hers. I bite her lip and then lick it. Her head falls deeper into the pillow as she comes.

"Jace…." she breathes out and then I follow right behind her, spilling into her. I fall to her chest and breathe heavily. Her heartbeat matches mine, strong and fast. I roll off to the side but bring her with me. She looks up at me. She looks a little sad.

"What is it, baby?" I ask turning closer to her.

"I love being so close to you and when you pull out of me, I miss that feeling. It always makes me a little sad." she says and smiles a half smile.

"Well then come here." I say and pull her to me and insert my dick back inside of her before it goes completely soft. "That better?" I ask with amusement.

"Yep, thanks." she says as we cuddle together. I chuckle at her and rub her back softly. We talk for a while and then we both fall asleep lying just like this, still connected.

~o.O.o~

**Clary:**

The final bell rings and Isabelle, Jace, and I drop off our books at our lockers and walk out into the parking lot.

"So, Clary, prom is coming up. Are you going to go?" Isabelle asks me as we climb into Jace's car. I glance over at Jace. He is watching me. I shrug and answer her.

"I don't know. No one has asked me yet." I say indifferently. Isabelle snickers from the back seat and Jace coughs. I decide to keep teasing him.

"You know….that guy in our Social Studies class with the brown hair. Well he's been staring at me and smiling. Maybe he'll ask me. I'll probably say yes if he does. He is kinda cute. I'll bet he cleans up real nice." I say while Isabelle is holding her stomach from laughing so hard. I keep my face impassive. Jace looks like he's about to have an aneurism.

"He's been doing what? Has he been flirting with you? And what do you mean he's kinda cute and you'll probably say yes? No way!" he rambles in disbelief. And then he sees my face. I purse my lips to keep from laughing. He narrows his eyes at me.

"I love you Jace Lightwood. Even though you don't want to take me to my senior prom, I still love you. I –"

"I never said I didn't want to take you." he cuts me off.

"Then why haven't you asked her yet dumbass?" Isabelle demands. I put my hand over my mouth to keep from laughing.

"Maybe I was planning to and haven't had the chance to do it yet. Did you ever think of that?" he asks both of us.

We pull up in their driveway, and we all pile out. Isabelle goes inside leaving me and Jace alone.

"You know we were just teasing right? You don't have to ask me to prom because you know I'll go anywhere with you without having to ask me. I love you." I tell him as I put my arms around his waist and lie my head on his chest. I feel him hold me to him tightly.

"I do want to take you to prom. I really do have a plan to ask you. I love you, too." he says in my ear. He kisses me right below the ear and leads me into the house. We go up to his room and I lie down on the bed. He comes and crawls up my body, hovering above me.

"Just ask me already. No need to make a big deal out of it. I went with you last year, didn't I?" I whisper as I kiss along his pulse point in his neck. I feel him take a shuttering breath and I reach my hand down to his chest and feel his heartbeat pick up and beat frantically. I smile against his neck. I can't believe I have this effect on him. I love that I can do that to him.

He pulls back and looks into my eyes, moving my hair off of my face and tucking it behind my ear. "Clary Fray? Will you go to prom with me?" he asks in a hushed voice. I smile at him brightly.

"I would love to go to prom with you, Jace Lightwood." I say and kiss him with intensity. He kisses me back and before long, all of our clothes are off and he is pounding into me until I am moaning his name into his shoulder. The things he does to me makes me crazy. I never thought I would ever feel this way about anyone, much less be able to love someone like this and have them love me back with the same intensity. I am truly blessed to have been given a second chance at life. Jace makes love to me until we are both gasping for air. And ever since I told him how I feel, we lie connected, talking about prom, graduation, college, and other future plans.

**So...what did you think? Let me know your thoughts and what you would like to see in future chapters. And a big thank you to my friend m1129 for your support and encouragement! **

**Until next time. . . . **


	9. Chapter 9

**I finally have an update for you. I hope you are all still enjoying this story! As a reminder, I do not own Jace and Clary or any other characters from the Mortal Instruments, nor do I own any of the music listed below...**

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter 9:**

**_Chapter Songs:_**

_All You Wanted by Sounds Under Radio_

_Sweet and Low by Augustana_

_Hold You in My Arms by Ray LaMontagne_

_Work by Jimmy Eat World_

**Jace:**

My family and Clary leave the funeral home and go back to our house to get things ready for Magnus' family to come over. Magnus' grandmother passed away and we all went and paid our respects to his family. Alec stayed behind to be with Magnus but is coming later for the wake. Clary and I start taking dishes to the dining room table where we have set it up as a buffet of food. Isabelle and my parents are putting the finishing touches on the other food. I see Clary looking out the window and I come up behind her and wrap my arms around her tiny waist and kiss her behind the ear.

"What's the matter, baby?" I whisper. I lie my chin on her shoulder as she entwines our hands together.

"I just feel so bad for Magnus and his family. He was so close to his grandmother and she died so suddenly. I mean I'm glad she wasn't sick or anything but she just went to sleep and never woke up. At least when you're sick, you kind of have to prepare for that to be a possibility. This was just such a shock to everyone. I don't know." she says sadly.

"I know, baby. But isn't that a good way to go? Just go to sleep? She didn't feel pain, didn't suffer. She lived a long, happy life." I tell her and squeeze her a little.

She sighs. "You're right. Come on. Let's see if there's anything else we need to do before everyone else gets here." She turns in my arms and places a chaste kiss on my lips. She starts to walk away, but I pull her back and kiss her more passionately. I open her mouth with mine and caress her tongue. I pull back and smile at her. "I love you." I tell her and she gives me a smile that I swear could make the devil smile back at her.

"I love you, too, Jace. So much." she says and kisses me one more time before we walk hand in hand to the kitchen. A few minutes later we hear the doorbell.

"I'll get it." Isabelle announces and walks down the hall to the front door. Maia and Jordan come in to the living room followed by Simon and Isabelle. We all stand around the living room together talking quietly. The doorbell rings again and some more people come in. A little while later, Alec comes in with Magnus and his parents. Alec brings Magnus over to our group. Clary hugs Magnus and whispers something in his ear. He nods his head and smiles at her. He hugs her again and she comes back to my side. I pull her to me and look down at her. She looks up and smiles at me. I look over at Alec and Magnus and he seems more at ease. Whatever Clary said to him must have given him some kind of comfort. She is truly an amazing and selfless person. Always thinking of others….I feel extremely lucky to have met her and now to love her. I'll never let her go, this I know. She completes me in more ways than one.

~o.O.o~

**Jace:**

A few days after Magnus' grandmother's funeral, Alec called me and asked to get everyone over to the house. He and Magnus had some news to share with us. I call Jordan and Isabelle calls Simon over. Clary is already here, like usual, so now we just wait, curiosity taking over. Jordan and Maia come in about thirty minutes later.

"Hey man. Do you have any idea what this is about?" Jordan asks as he comes in and sits on the couch. Maia sits beside him after hugging Clary hello.

"Not a clue. I guess we have to wait and see." I tell him with a shrug. Simon and Isabelle come in a few minutes later and we all sit around and wait for Alec and Magnus to get here.

"Hello, my lovely friends!" Magnus announces his arrival. He comes in and sits on the love seat, Alec sitting beside him.

"Alright, Mags. You got us all together. What's the news you want to share with us?" Isabelle asks him when everyone is seated.

"Well, you know my parents have been meeting with the attorneys going over my grandmother's will. She left everything she had to my parent's except the brownstone she lived in. She left that to me." he says looking at us all. "The brownstone is huge. A four bedroom brownstone right in the middle of the city." No one says anything, waiting for him to continue. He stares at us. "When our lease is up at our apartment, Alec and I plan on moving into the brownstone. We were wondering if you guys would want to move into the other bedrooms and split the utilities and food and things. Where ever you go to college, it will be close enough to either take the subway or walk." Magnus finishes. We sit there and process this. Jordan is the first one to jump up.

"Maia and I are in." he states.

"We are too." Isabelle says for her and Simon leaving me and Clary. I look at her and she takes my hand and gives me a dazzling smile. I know she would love to move in with them. She was worried she wouldn't see everyone as much after high school.

"Looks like we're all going to live together." I say and everyone cheers.

"Magnus? Can we see the brownstone?" Clary asks. We all look at Magnus.

"I could never deny you anything, biscuit." he says smiling lovingly at her. He's not the only one who can't deny her.

"Biscuit?" she asks raising her eyebrows.

He shrugs. "Just a pet name I thought I would try out on you." he says matter-of-factly. She shakes her head but doesn't say anything. I grab her hand and we all head over to our new home. It takes about ten minutes from my house, so it would be about twenty minutes from Clary's mother. Magnus strolls up the steps and unlocks the front door. We all walk into the foyer and look around amazed at how big and spacious the house is. It's a three-story brownstone that looks like something out of the Victorian era. All dark wood and soft lights.

"There are three bedrooms on the second floor and mine and Alec's bedroom is on the third floor. I pull Clary up the stairs and Jordan, Maia, Isabelle, and Simon follow. We all look into the identical bedrooms and claim one. There are two bathrooms up here so we will be sharing.

"How about the girls have one and the boys have the other. That way we can keep our girly things out." Isabelle states.

Clary laughs. "You mean keep your girly things out. I only need shampoo and conditioner." she says haughtily. I chuckle and pull her to the bedroom at the end of the hall.

"We'll take this one." I call out to the group. Clary looks around the room and looks back at me with a grin on her face.

"So we're going to live here? With our friends? Together?" she asks as I come up to her and wrap my arms around her and pull her to me.

"Yeah, baby we are. Does that make you happy?" I ask and kiss her lips.

"So happy. But you know what would make me happier?" she asks biting her lip. I don't know where she's going with this, but I do like how she's biting that lip.

"What would make you happier and I'll move heaven and hell to give it you." I tell her pulling her even closer. She smiles up at me and rubs her hands down my chest making my breath hitch.

"I think we should lock the door and make this room ours. That would make me very happy, Jace." she says in a very seductive voice.

"Whatever you want, baby." I bring her with me to lock the door and I scoop her up and place her on the bed. She giggles and I smile at the sound. I crawl up her beautiful body and nuzzle my face in her breasts. I feel her hands snake through the curls on my head and it makes me shiver. I lean up on my elbows that are beside her head and look lovingly into her eyes.

"I love you, Clary. I can't wait for the next phase of our lives to start. And right now, I can't wait to be inside you." I lean down and kiss her passionately, swallowing her every breath. I run my hands down her stomach to her shorts and pop the button open. She lifts her hips and I slowly peel them down her silky legs. She reaches for the hem of my shirt and rubs her hands up my stomach and chest, pulling it off my head. I do the same to her shirt until she is lying beneath me in just her bra and panties. I undo the button on my pants and then the zipper. Clary's hands shoots down to stop me and I look down at her. She hooks her feet into them and slides them down my legs.

"Jesus, that was hot." I say breathlessly and smash my mouth to hers. I wiggle the rest of the way out of them and soon we are only in our underwear. My hands roam her body and she moans my name.

"We still have too many clothes on. I need to feel you, Jace." she pants out.

I take my boxers off and slide her panties down and throw them somewhere. Next, I unhook her bra and slide it down and finally we are both completely bare, skin to skin and I breathe out in relief. We continue to kiss hungrily as I touch her. My hand makes its way between her legs and I slide my finger in her wet folds.

"God you're so wet, baby." I say, my voice hoarse. Then I put one finger in, then another and pump in and out creating a delicious rhythm that makes my head spin. My mouth is on her neck, sucking and biting and I know she can feel how much I want her as I push it against her leg. She pushes me back and I lie against the pillows. She turns toward me and grabs my very erect member and begins stroking it. I release a groan and my eyes roll back into my head. I feel her lips place feather-light kisses all over my neck and chest, my abs and then I feel her kiss my scar. I shudder under her lips and I feel her smile. She looks up at me and I pull her to me and kiss her fiercely. I place her on my lap and she sinks down onto my erection. We both let out a gust of air between our lips and I sit up with her until we are nose to nose. She begins moving up and down, as my hands find her breasts. I gently squeeze them and prod them up and down to the rhythm that we have created.

"Oh, Jace…." she moans and I trail kisses down her neck to her collarbone and continue my assault to her breasts that are bouncing around in my face.

"God, baby….I'll never get enough of you….You're perfect….Ah!" I feel her clench around me and sag against me as I continue to push into her as deep as I can go until I find my release right after hers. I fall back on the bed and she comes with me still on top of me. We lie there panting, still connected, always connected, until we catch our breath. I rub a trail up her spine and kiss the top of her red head. She places a small, chaste kiss on my chest right over my heart.

"I'll never get enough of you either, Jace. We'll get to do this whenever we want when we move in. I wish we could move in today." she says sweetly, looking up at me from where she lies on my chest.

"I know baby. Only three more months until graduation and then this summer we'll move in. We can still do this just after our parents go to bed." I say with a grin. She grins back and reluctantly slides off of me with a small pout.

"I hate when we have to get dressed." she whines sticking her bottom lip out. I sit up and suck her lip into my mouth.

Releasing it with a smile, I say, "Me, too, baby, me too." We get up and scramble around tossing clothes at each other as we find them. We get dressed, tidy the bed, and walk back downstairs to finish touring our new house.

Everyone is gathered outside in the back of the house when we go through and see the family room, the dining room, and kitchen. The outside is a small courtyard with a fountain in the middle and some outdoor furniture. We walk up as Jordan and Alec are talking about turning the fountain into a fire pit, so we can sit around out here by the fire and hang out.

"I think that sounds great. We should do that." I say as I walk up to them. Clary releases my hand and walks over to sit with the girls. I watch her as her face turns a slight pink and she glances over at me. I give her a crooked smile and she shakes her head turning away with a smile on her perfect face. I turn back to the guys and we just hang out here and talk about things we can do to make this place belong to us. The excitement can be felt in the air. I can't wait to move in here with all the people that mean so much to me. My brother and sister, my close friends, and my beautiful girlfriend that I plan on marrying one day. Life is really good right now.

~o.O.o~

**Clary:**

It's been almost two months since we all decided to move into the brownstone with Magnus and Alec. Our parents all seem to have accepted that we are going to be living together and are happy that we will all be together. None of us will have to pay rent, but we plan on splitting everything eight ways. Every weekend, we've gone to the house to fix it up the way we want it. Jace and I painted our bedroom, got new blankets and sheets for the bed and started putting pictures up of the two of us and our friends. The boys have begun making the fountain into a fire pit and the girls and I have been bringing in personal touches to the rest of the common spaces. It's starting to feel like a real home for us. I cannot wait to move in here with all of my closest people.

In between getting the house ready, Isabelle, Maia, and I have begun looking at prom dresses. Magnus has also joined us even though he won't be going this time, but he wants to help us look 'fabulous' as he puts it. Prom is in two weeks and I'm the only one who hasn't found a dress. I want to look good for Jace and make him proud to bring me. Last year was a private prom so no one saw us together like that. Even though everyone at school has seen us together and knows we're a couple, no one has seen us dressed up before. He's so good-looking and I'm so plain. I just want to look good for him.

Today, I plan on going shopping with my mom. We haven't spent much time together lately, with me at the house and her teaching art classes and in art shows, so we've planned a day together. I grab my phone and my purse and run downstairs to see if mom is ready to go. She's in the kitchen wiping the counters.

"You ready, mom?" I ask as I enter the room. She turns around and smiles at me.

"Yep, let's go. I'm so happy we're hanging out today. Where do you want to go first?" she asks as she grabs her purse.

"I still need a dress. Can we go see if we can find one?" We climb into the car and she pulls out into traffic.

"Of course. I can't believe you haven't found one yet. But don't worry, we'll find one today." she says with a smile.

I pull my phone out of my purse and see I have a text from Jace. I open and smile as I read it.

**Hey baby….hope you have fun with your mom today but I want you to know that I'll miss you :) I'll be at the house if you need me. I love you… ~J**

I quickly text back.

_I'll miss you and I love you, too. I'll call you when I'm done. PS – I always need you! ~C_

I smile at my phone and put it away. Mom and I talk the rest of the way about her art and what I plan on majoring in when I start college. I've been thinking about majoring in art but not quite sure. Jace is going to major in music and I think that is an excellent idea. He's so talented. Mom and I pull up to a small boutique. I look through the window as we walk up and I see a dress hanging on the wall. We go inside and I walk right to it. It's long and dark purple with a black lace covering it. It's strapless and has a slit up one leg. I take it off the wall and turn it around. It has small hooks going down the back that resembles a corset. I look at the size and can't believe it's my size. Then I look at the price tag and my heart sinks. It's way too much. With a heavy heart, I place it back on the wall. Mom comes up beside me looking at the dress.

"This dress would look beautiful on you, sweetheart. Why don't you go try it on?" mom asks gazing from me to the dress.

"It's too expensive. There's probably something else in here. I'm going to look around." I tell her and turn away from the dress.

"Clary, try the dress on. I'll pay the difference. It's your senior prom. No more after this. You deserve to get what you want. Please, go try it on." she pleads. I take a deep breath and hug her.

"I love you, mom. I'll try it on. I'll be back." I tell her and grab the dress and run off to the dressing room. I call mom to do the back for me and I step up to the floor length mirrors. It's absolutely stunning. My hair often clashes with everything but not this. The dress actually makes my hair look amazing. I turn toward mom to see what she thinks and I see she has tears in her eyes.

"Oh, sweetie. You look so grown up. You have to get that one. I'll see what accessories will go with it and we'll get you some shoes, too." she says and rushes off. I turn back to my reflection and smile. I grab my phone and take a picture and send it to Isabelle. A few seconds later, my phone dings.

**OMG! That dress is amazing! Tell me you're getting it?! ~Iz**

_I am! Don't show it to Jace. I want to surprise him! :) ~C_

**I won't show him. EEK! I can't wait for prom! ~Iz**

I chuckle at her enthusiasm and go take the dress off after one last look at it. Mom and I find some black high heels and a purple necklace and matching earrings to go with it. After purchasing everything, mom and I leisurely shop and have lunch together and just enjoy each other's company for the rest of the day.

Yeah….I can't wait for prom either….

**Chapter 9 complete...What did you think? I am needing some fun ideas to write about when they are in college. Let me know if you have any through reviews or you can PM me. I would like to thank my friend m1129 for your awesome advice and you should check out her new story called Crash Landing! It's really good! **

**Until next time...**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello people! This is chapter took me forever to write. I really hope it doesn't suck! Let me know one way or another what you thought about it. **

**Enjoy :)**

**I do not own TMI or any of the characters or music used in this chapter.**

**Chapter 10:**

**_Chapter Songs:_**

_Good Time by Owl City &amp; Carly Rae Jepsen_

_Ocean Avenue by Yellowcard_

_My Sundown by Jimmy Eat World_

_No One's Gonna Love You by Band of Horses_

_Heartache is a Cold Place by A Boy and His Kite_

**Clary:**

It's here! Prom is finally here and that means only three weeks left of my senior year. Three weeks until I graduate high school. Three weeks until I will officially move out of my childhood home and live with my best friends. Three weeks until I start a new chapter of my life with my boyfriend. College….I never thought I would be thinking about college much less get accepted with a full scholarship into the art program at my school of choice in the city. And what's even more, is that Jace was also offered a full scholarship in the music program at the same school. In fact, we all are going to the same school, just doing different things. Isabelle is going to major in fashion design, Maia and Simon in technology and Jordan in history. All in all, three weeks until we all start living the adult life. And I for one cannot wait!

I walk to Isabelle's house with my dress wrapped up in a garment bag with my shoes and accessories. We are all getting ready at their house and leaving from there. I go up to the door lugging my goods and knock on the door. Jace opens it with a huge smile on his lovely face. He reaches out and pulls me against him and kisses me soundly.

"Hey baby!" he says with that breathtaking smile of his.

I giggle at his greeting. "Hi." I say shyly looking at him through my eyelashes. He smiles wider and pulls me to him. His mouth is on mine before I can comprehend what is happening.

"Did somebody miss me today?" I ask as we break apart. He leans down and kisses me again chastely on the lips.

"You know it. Now come in and show me that dress." he says pulling me in to the house.

"Nuh uh. You, my love have to wait until later to see this dress." He pouts at me and I giggle. I continue walking to the stairs and when I get outside Isabelle's room I turn back to him. "I love you, Jace. I'll see you soon."

He pulls me close and kisses my forehead. "I love you, too, baby. I'll be waiting in my tux to whisk you away to prom." He smiles and kisses me breathless before releasing me to go into Isabelle's room. I walk in and both Izzy and Maia turn to look at me. I lean against the door to catch my breath.

"Jesus, Clary. You're lit up like a Christmas tree!" Isabelle remarks and I stick my tongue out at her.

"Oh hush. You look the same around Simon. And you do too, Maia. Besides I can't help it. Jace just makes my legs turn to jelly when he kisses me like that. Like he can't get enough of me. I still find it hard to believe that I affect him that way. Anyway, we've got work to do." I say with a sigh. I touch my lips and they still feel slightly swollen from his kiss and I smile knowing I'll be with him soon. I plan on kissing him breathless this time.

We dance around Isabelle's room singing and laughing as we get ready. Isabelle is insisting on doing my make-up and Maia wants to do my hair. I know Jace prefers my hair down so Maia assures me that it will be down just for him. After hours of getting poked, prodded, scrubbed, waxed, and primped, it's time to finally put on my dress. I slip it on and Maia zips it up for me. We all gaze at ourselves in the floor length mirror and smile at each other. My hair is pulled back in the front and clasped low in the back with ringlets framing my face. My make-up is gorgeous. Not too much and my green eyes look really good against the smoky eye-liner that Isabelle used. All in all, I think we look great.

"We're going to rock this prom. Shall we go find our guys and watch their eyes pop out of their heads?" Isabelle asks wagging her eyebrows up and down. We laugh and leave Isabelle's room. Just as we get to the top of the stairs we hear a gasp coming from below. Magnus is on his way up the stairs when he sees us.

"OMG! You girls are gorgeous! Alec! Come look at my girls!" he calls over his shoulder. We continue down the stairs and Magnus squeezes each of us as we pass him. He tucks me in his side and walks the rest of the way down. He leans toward me and whispers, "You look incredible, biscuit." I smile and shake my head at the nickname. Alec is waiting at the bottom of the stairs. He kisses Isabelle on the cheek and gives Maia a rather awkward sideways hug. When Magnus and I get to him, he smiles a genuine smile and hugs me in a brotherly way. A throat clears behind Alec and I look up into the golden eyes I adore. Alec steps back and Jace's eyes widen when he see me full-on.

I spin around for him and he takes a deep shuttering breath before walking closer to me. He stops when he gets right in front of me causing me to look up into his face.

"God, you're beautiful, Clary. You take my breath away." he says in a low voice.

I smile up at him. "I could say the same to you. You look amazing, Jace. I am one lucky girl." I reply with a grin.

He reaches for me and pulls me to him and wraps me in his arms. "I'm the lucky one, baby." he says and kisses me. When he releases my mouth, he grabs my hand and we all take the customary prom pictures. We wave to our parents and to Magnus and Alec and head to the hotel the prom is being held in this year.

Jace helps me out of the car and wraps his arm around me and holds me close to him. I smile and we walk into the hotel ballroom. It is really beautifully decorated with a dance floor in the middle and tables with white linen table cloths around the outside edges of the dance floor. A band is playing live music on stage and there is an area set up in the corner for professional prom pictures. We follow Isabelle and Simon to a table and Maia and Jordan join us as well.

"So this is what prom looks like." I comment, looking around at all the decorations and people milling around.

"This is it. What do you think, Clary?" Maia asks me.

I shrug. "Looks just like Jace described to me last year." I smile at Jace remembering when I asked him about prom. He returns my smile and leans closer to my ear.

"I can't believe it's been a year since I met you. The best thing that's ever happened to me." he murmurs in my ear. I blush and bite down on my lip.

"Well I'm going to dance. Come on Si, sweep me off my feet." Isabelle declares and gets up pulling Simon with her. We all laugh and watch them scramble to the dance floor. Simon is so uncoordinated. Seeing him dancing with the beautiful Isabelle is quite comical.

"Dance with me?" Jace asks holding out his hand to me. I smile and slide mine inside his and let him lead me to the dance floor. He wraps me up in his arms and we begin swaying back and forth staring into each other's eyes. "Having fun?"

"I always have fun with you. There isn't anywhere I'd want to be right now. This is my happy place, Jace." I say caressing his cheek with my fingers.

He smiles down at me. "The prom is your happy place?" he teases with a grin.

I swat his arm and giggle. "No, you idiot! Being in your arms is my happy place."

He laughs and kisses my forehead. "You want me to tell you where I like being?" he asks wagging his eyebrows. And I know he's thinking dirty thoughts.

"I think I can guess, you perv." I say laughing. He twirls me around and I take a moment to look at everyone dancing. I see my friends all looking happy while dancing together. I see Aline with a different guy than the one she had at her birthday party. She also looks happy. In fact, I don't see one unhappy face in the whole place. I smile sadly. This is the last time I'll see these people. I know I didn't go to school with them for long but I feel like I've gotten to know them pretty good this last year. Now everyone will be going their separate ways and that's it. At least I'll still have my close friends to see daily. That thought lifts my spirits as we continue to dance.

"You got quiet. What's on your mind, baby?" Jace asks as we twirl and sway around the dance floor. I gaze up at him and smile.

"I was just thinking about how happy everyone is tonight and in a few weeks, everyone will go their separate ways and we'll never see them again. It just made me a little sad, but then I thought of the house and living with you and all of our close friends and that made me feel better." I lean up and kiss his beautiful lips.

"I can't wait until we move in together, baby. Can I ask you something?" He looks a little nervous about whatever he's thinking about.

"Of course."

"What would you think if I asked you to marry me one day in the near future? We wouldn't have to get married until much later or even after college, but I'd like to secure that part of our future. That is if you want to marry me one day." he says and rubs the back of his neck.

I wrap my arms securely around his neck and stare up into his eyes. "I would definitely say yes to you should you ask me. I love you Jace." I lean up and kiss his waiting lips. I open his mouth with mine and plunge my tongue inside and caress his. He moans against my lips and I smile.

"I love you, too, baby. One day, I'll ask." he whispers and his mouth is back on mine, kissing me breathless. I feel his smile against my mouth and I pull back from him. He strokes my cheek and closes his eyes as he rests his forehead to mine.

We stay like this for a few minutes and then I lie my head on his chest and feel his strong heartbeat against my cheek while Jace leans his face on the top of my head. He tightens his hold on me and I sigh in complete contentment. When I open my eyes, I see Isabelle and Simon dancing nearby watching us. Both of them are smiling and when Isabelle catches my eye, she winks at me before turning back to Simon. I look up at Jace and he stares into my eyes for few seconds. His hand comes up and caresses my cheek from my temple to my jaw.

We continue dancing, lost in our own bubble. After a few songs, we go sit and rest our feet since I'm in heels that I'm not used to wearing. Jace goes to get me a water and I slip off my heels and rub my feet. Several people walk by offering a greeting to me. Jace returns with two waters and lifts my legs to his lap and begins rubbing my feet for me. I smile at the gesture.

"You're pretty amazing, you know that? Where ever did you learn to be such a fantastic boyfriend?" I tease. He smirks at me.

"It takes incredible talent to be as good as I am, baby." he boasts arrogantly. I smile and reach over and move the curls that have fallen over his eyes.

"You're definitely good, baby. You may have to be rewarded for being so awesome." I bite my lip and watch as Jace's breathing spike.

"Hmmm….Is that so? How much longer do you want to stay then?" he asks with a slow grin taking over his face.

I lean toward him and whisper in his ear. "I'm ready whenever you are." My lips barely grazing his ear when I speak. I feel him shudder and he places my shoes back on my feet, takes my hand and pulls me out of my chair. He takes his phone out of his pocket and texts someone and pulls me out of the ballroom and to the car in a matter of seconds.

I laugh when he opens the car door for and releases me to climb in. "Eager are we?"

"Always with you." he says and kisses my temple before going around to get in. He turns to me with an excited grin and takes my hand, bringing it to his lips. He brushes his mouth over my knuckles.

"I have a surprise for you." I can't help the face-splitting grin plastered on my face. Jace starts the car and we take off toward my surprise.

~o.O.o~

**Jace:**

I'm excited but equally nervous about the surprise I have for Clary. I spent several hours today getting ready for this. I hope she likes it and remembers the significance of it. I pull the car into my driveway and park. I jump out and go around to open Clary's door for her. I steer her to the sidewalk instead of the house. She looks up at me and I smile and shake my head at her. She shrugs and tucks into my side more closely. We walk next door to the institute and I see confusion on her face. We haven't been here for a while since she only has to come back for tests every six months to make sure everything with "our" kidney is doing well. I ignore her questioning glances and lead her straight to the stairs leading to the roof. When we reach the top, I step in front of her.

"Close your eyes, baby."

She does immediately with a beautiful smile plastered on her face. I lead her through the door and step beside her so I can see her face.

"Okay, you can open them now." I tell her in a low voice. She opens them and I watch as they grow wide and her mouth falls open before a look of wonder takes over her gorgeous face.

"Jace…" she whispers, her eyes taking in everything. I placed a giant blanket on the floor like last time and placed lit lanterns all around giving the roof a romantic glow. I had my mom come up and bring the food I had the kitchen prepare for us and is sitting on the blanket waiting for us. I move to stand in front of her.

"I thought we could eat here and do some stargazing like last time. Do you like it?" I ask looking deeply in her eyes.

"God….I love it." And then she launches herself at me. I catch her and squeeze her to me tightly. Her mouth is on mine and she greedily kisses me. She pulls back and looks around again.

"Come on." I pull her down on the blanket and I begin pulling out our meal. We eat and talk completely at ease with each other. When we finish, she cleans it all up and we lie back and watch the stars. After a while, I turn her onto her side and I lean up on my elbow to look down at her.

"We came up here last year after our prom. You told me you liked me and you wished things could be different. That night I went home after carrying you back to your room and I prayed for the first time in my life. I prayed for you to be able to live your life and be happy. I almost died when Isabelle burst in my room the next morning telling me we needed to get to the institute to tell you goodbye. I don't even remember how I got over here. When I walked in and saw you lying there looking so beautiful, I couldn't breathe, I begged mom to do something. When we found out I was a match, I couldn't get to the operating room fast enough. I fell in love with you the first time I heard your voice, Clary. I loved you then, I love you now, and I will love you for eternity."

"Oh, Jace. How can I top that?" she frowns as tears swim in her eyes. I chuckle and pull her on top of me and kiss her. Slowly at first but it quickly builds in intensity. My hands move to the zipper on her dress and slowly I unzip it while brushing my fingers down her spine. I roll her off and pull her dress down and off of her body. Once her dress is gone, I let my eyes rake over her from top to bottom.

"I think you have on too many layers" she whispers as her small fingers undo my tie and slide it off my neck and then my buttons, one at a time until that too gets discarded to the side. Her mouth is on mine and then she trails small kisses across my jaw and down my neck until she sucks lightly on my pulse point making it pulse faster. I close my eyes for a second and just let her work her sweet mouth on me, relishing in the feeling of having her lips moving all over me. Her hands roam down my chest until she gets to my pants and before I can register anything, she's pushing them down my legs and off. Now we are both in our underwear.

My hands rub down her body, over the swell of her breasts, down her ribs to her hips while my lips attack her neck.

"Jace." she says breathlessly. "I'm not good with words like you. I can't tell you what you mean to me, but I can show you. Let me show you." I stop kissing her neck and look down at her. There is so much love in her eyes when she looks at me. She reaches up and caresses my face gently and I lean into her touch.

"You don't have to say anything Clary. I see it. The way you're looking at me right now, I see how you feel. Your eyes tell it all. So let's show each other." I tell her as she touches me tenderly.

"Okay." she whispers and then we make love to each other on the roof of the institute. The place where we met, where we fell in love, and where we both started living. Each touch reminds us how much we love each other, and each kiss seals our promise to each other.

**Wow that chapter was a bitch to write. I hope it wasn't so bad. Thank you m1129 for not letting me give up on it. You rock! If anyone has suggestions of some things these guys can get into in college please let me know! I need some ideas...**

**Until next time. . . .**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hi people! Sorry this took me a little longer to post...I am having some trouble getting things down. I hope the next chapter goes better but so far, I can't think of anything to write. So if anyone has any suggestions for me about things to do in college, let me know - please! Hope you enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think.**

**Enjoy!**

**I do not own the characters or music in any way!**

**Chapter 11:**

**_Chapter Songs:_**

_It's Time by Imagine Dragons_

_1901 by Phoenix_

_My Guardian Angel by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus (Jace singing)_

_Dead in the Water by Ellie Goulding_

**Jace:**

It's here. Today is Graduation Day. I think back to just a few years ago and realize how much I've turned my life around. I was always in trouble. Skipping school, always getting drunk, which led to the fighting. I was hanging with a very rough crowd and had no hope of any kind of future. Until the day I met Clary. She's turned me around so completely. She saved me more than she'll ever know.

_Clary…._Clary and I have something special. Isabelle thinks what we have is magical. I don't know about that, but we do share the same extremely rare blood type and she has one of my kidneys. My kidney is keeping her alive and healthy. _God, I love that girl!_

Clary is coming to the ceremony with her mom and Luke while I'm going with my family. I wish I could see her before the ceremony, but I guess I'll have to wait until after when we all go to Magnus' parents for a graduation dinner and then to Aline's big graduation party. We're only going for a little while and then the six of us are meeting up with Alec and Magnus and going to the new house to spend our first night together as housemates. We all moved our things in this week in between finishing high school and getting ready for graduation.

We pull into the school parking lot and Isabelle and I head to the student section while our parents take a seat with Clary's mom and Luke. We wander around until we find our seats, the whole time I'm looking for a certain red head, but haven't found her yet. I'm seated next to Isabelle and some girl whose name I can't remember. Simon is sitting on the other side of Isabelle since he is also an L. And then I see her. She's squeezing past some people to get to her seat a few rows in front of me. Once she sits down, she turns around and scans the crowd of students all wearing their black graduation gowns until her bright green eyes lock with mine. She smiles a soft smile and waves. I grin back at her and wink. She mouths 'I love you' and I swear I want to grab her right now and kiss the living shit out of her but the principal just took the stage. I hold up two fingers to show her I do too and she turns back around to watch the stage.

The principal, Mr. Hodge, clears his throat and launches into his welcome speech. The valedictorian then comes on stage and goes on and on about what high school means to him and what our futures hold for us. I take this time to look around at all the faces I can see. I'm sitting here right now about to be called to receive my high school diploma and it's all because of Clary. That tiny little red head has given me this life. My family is happy and stronger than ever, I'm going to college, which was definitely not in my future a year ago, and I have the best friends any one could ask for and the best part is Clary. She has no clue how influential she has been to all of us. I focus back on the ceremony when I finally hear names being called and one by one, each student makes their way up to the stage to receive a hand shake and their diploma.

**_'_****_Clarissa Fray'_**

Clary turns a shade of red at the mention of her given name and walks up to the stage. When she shakes hands with Mr. Hodge, the entire crowd claps and cheers for her. She turns with wide eyes as she takes in all the noise. I stand up clapping and Isabelle and Simon follow. Soon every student and every member of the audience is standing and clapping for Clary. She stands there with her mouth hanging open and tears in her eyes. And then she graces us with one of her most dazzling smiles and walks off the stage. The crowd settles down and the rest of us get called. Once backstage, I see her surrounded by our classmates hugging her and congratulating her. When she sees me, she lunges at me and I catch her around the waist and swing her around.

"Jace, that was amazing. I was so shocked." she breathes.

I smile and kiss her chastely on the mouth. "You've made quite the impression on so many people, baby."

"But why? I'm not anything special." she says confusion taking over her face.

"Oh but you are. You just got a standing ovation from over 500 people in there. Face it, baby. You're special and you're mine." I tell her as the teachers gather us together to form a line. We all file back into the auditorium and when everyone is in, we count down and throw our caps in the air. I pull Clary close and kiss her passionately. "We did it baby!"

She smiles so big and throws her arms around my neck. Isabelle and Simon hug us and then Jordan and Maia do the same. Soon we form a group hug before going out to find our families.

"I just want to say one thing. You guys are my best friends and I love each and every one of you. Thank you for accepting me into your group and making me feel like I belong with you. And I am beyond excited to start this next journey with all of you." Clary says to us as we all hug.

"We all love you too, Clary. You definitely belong with us. Now let's go celebrate!" Isabelle declares and we all head to our families who are waiting for us. We take pictures with each other and with our families to commemorate this day in our lives. After all the pictures, we leave the auditorium and this time I don't let Clary go. She's riding with me.

Magnus' parents have invited us all over to their house for a graduation meal so we all head over there with our families. Mrs. Bane catered a meal to feed us and it was delicious. The girls leave early to get ready for Aline's graduation party and me and the guys hang out for a while. We agree to meet at the new house around 11:00 for our first night and the three of us leave to pick up our girls.

At 6:00, the girls emerge from Isabelle's room freshly changed and looking ready to party. Clary has on a short, black dress with spaghetti straps and black high heels. She takes my breath away every single time.

Aline's party this time is at her huge estate. The grounds are covered in twinkling lights and lanterns hanging from every tree in the massive yard and pool area. Loud music pulses and throngs of people are dancing all around. Our entire school looks like they have come tonight to celebrate our graduation. I idly wonder what Aline will do with herself after this. No more over-the-top parties to throw.

Clary and I mingle with the party-goers. Well Clary mingles while I just keep her tight to my side. She is so friendly with everyone she talks to and they all seem genuine with her. She amazes me even more. The standing ovation she received at graduation was incredible. I've never felt prouder to be her man.

"I'm going to miss this kind of stuff." she says as we have a moment to ourselves. "I don't think college parties will be quite like this. This is more intimate I think, but what do I know." she grins at me.

"I think you're right. I've heard college parties get a little wild and there's always drinking involved." I say thinking how I would feel at one of those kinds pf parties with alcohol all around me. I'm not an alcoholic by any means but it was a coping mechanism of sorts and I don't know how I would do with that kind of temptation.

Her fingers smooth out the line in between my brows. "Hey. It'll be okay. I have no desire to go to those kinds of parties. I like intimate. We'll be fine, Jace." She can always read me. She knows exactly how I'm feeling. I smile at her.

"Of course we will, baby. I love you."

"And I love you. Now, come on. Let's go and dance for a while and then we'll find the others and see if they're ready to go home." she says pulling me towards the hoard of dancers. She stops and faces me and I pull her against me.

"I really like the sound of that. Home." I tell her as we move around the people dancing near us.

She giggles and pulls me closer to her. "I love the sound of that." And then she kisses me, her tongue gliding in my mouth and stroking mine. She has some mad kissing skills. I moan into her mouth and pull back to look down at her.

"You drive me crazy, you know that? When you kiss me like that, I can't think straight. I want to take you right here." I whisper in her ear.

"Well, I think that might scare everyone if you were to take me right here. But you are more than welcome to take me in any way you please when we get home."

I growl and she laughs lightly. We continue to dance and occasionally kiss until around 10:30. We decide to find the others to go to our new home. As we walk around trying to find everyone, Aline stops us.

"Clary and Jace, I'm so glad you came tonight. I want to apologize to both of you for what happened earlier in the year. Clary, you are probably the nicest person I have ever met and I hope the two of you have the best of luck. I hope we will see each other again someday. Jace, you've got a good one here. Don't let her go."

"Thank you Aline. Good luck to you as well. I'm sure we'll see each other again." Clary, ever gracious, replies to Aline's words. Clary glances at me and I clear my throat.

"Yes, Aline. Good luck." I tell her. Clary squeezes my hand and Aline, giving us one more smile, turns and walks away from us.

I look at Clary with my eyebrows raised. "See? She's not so bad." Clary says with an angelic smile. I shake my head and we finally spot Isabelle and Simon. They see us and nod their heads. Jordan and Maia come up beside us and we all walk out of our last high school party ever.

"Well, we're officially done with high school. I don't know how that makes me feel." Isabelle says as we near our cars.

"I know. It just seems so unreal." Maia remarks.

"Let's not harp on this any longer. I for one am glad high school is over and we're starting college. Alec and Magnus are waiting for us. Let's go." Jordan says taking Maia's hand and leading her to the car. We all get in and drive to our house.

The girls go and change out of their dresses and me and the guys head to the kitchen where Alec and Magnus are gathering things to make s'mores.

"We're making s'mores!" Magnus announces with happiness. We go out back and start a fire in the newly completed fire pit. A few minutes later, we are joined by the girls. We all take seats around the fire and Magnus plops all the makings of s'mores in front of us.

"S'mores!" he shrieks and the girls squeal. I hand Clary a stick with a marshmallow on the end and we lean them over the fire making small talk with our friends. When the marshmallow is cooked enough, I make her a s'more and hand it to her. Part of it drips down her chin. I lean over and kiss the remains off. She giggles and we continue sitting together until all the s'mores have been eaten. Alec dowses the fire and we all make our way to our bedroom for our first night together where I make sweet love to my girl.

~o.O.o~

**Clary:**

We've been living all together for the last few weeks and it has been amazing. Each couple takes a night to cook something and then on the weekends we all pitch in and grill something out. We all start school in about a month and I think we are all ready to start that phase in our lives.

I get out of the shower and after drying off I put on my pajamas and go back to my room where Jace is messing around with his guitar. I lean against the doorframe and watch him for a second, drinking him in. He's propped up against the headboard and is strumming a soft melody. He looks up at me and smiles a crooked smile.

"Why are you way over there? Get your sexy ass over here." he says with a smirk. I laugh and close and lock the door before making my way over to sit in front of him on the bed. I lean over his guitar and kiss him gently on the mouth. I pull back and move a curl off of his forehead.

"Will you play me something?" I ask when I settle back to sit cross-legged in front of him. He smiles and reaches out for me and caresses my face.

"What do you want to hear?" he ask softly.

I shrug. "It doesn't matter to me. I just love to watch you play." I tell him and kiss his palm. He stares at me for a beat and then kisses me softly.

"I love you, Clary." he says, his voice slightly rough. My heart swells at the look in his eyes.

"I love you, too. So much." I whisper. He leans back against the bed and with his eyes still burning into mine, he begins playing.

**When I see your smile….tears roll down my face.**

**I can't replace….and now that I'm stronger **

**I have figured out….how this world turns cold**

**And it breaks through my soul, and I know I'll find….**

**Deep inside me….I can be the one.**

**I will never let you fall….I'll stand up with you forever.**

**I'll be there for you through it all….even if saving you sends me to heaven.**

**It's okay….it's okay….it's okayyyy….**

**Seasons are changing….and waves are crashing….and stars are falling all for us**

**Days grow longer….and nights grow shorter**

**I can show you I'll be the one.**

**I will never let you fall….I'll stand up with you forever.**

**I'll be there for you through it all….even if saving you sends me to heaven.**

**Cause you're my….you're myyyy….my true love, my whole heart**

**Please don't throw that away….**

**Cause I'm here….for you.**

**Please don't walk away….and please tell me you'll stay!**

**Who-a-o….stay….who-a-o**

**Use me as you will….pull my strings just for a thrill**

**And I know I'll be okay….though my skies are turning grey**

**I will never let you fall….I'll stand up with you forever.**

**I'll be there for you through it all….even if saving you sends me to heaven.**

I sit there staring into Jace's eyes wondering how I got such an incredible wonderful guy that loves me so much. As he sang to me, he never took his eyes off of me. He sits his guitar down on the floor and leans over and pulls me to him. I settle in between his legs as he holds me tight.

"How was that, baby?" he asks softly, his breath tickling my ear.

"That was perfect. Just like you. I don't think I could be happier than I am right now." I turn in his lap and straddle his thighs. "You have made everything I have ever dreamed come true. Did you know that?" I ask cocking my head to the side and caressing his face. "What I feel for you is so strong and I wish I could tell you but I can't. Sometimes it's actually painful how much I love you." I brush my lips against his and run my tongue along his bottom lip. He parts his lips and I stroke my tongue inside his mouth. He lets out a low growl and his hands tighten around my hips. I kiss him breathless like he does me so often. When we pull back for air, he presses his forehead to mine and catches his breath.

"God, I love you, too, baby. Now I think it's time I show you just how much." he says and flips me until I am pinned under him. He then begins taking my pajamas off slowly and sensually while kissing my jaw and neck, making his way down to my breasts.

A small gasp escapes my lips as his mouth takes in one of my nipples. His hand continue exploring down my body. I reach the hem of his shirt and pull. Jace's mouth leaves my body long enough to pull his shirt off the rest of the way. His shorts are the next to go. Once we are both completely naked, he stops and looks down at me. His fingers stroke down my cheek as his eyes bore into mine. He doesn't say anything, but I can see all the love he feels for me with just that look. I pull his mouth back to mine and kiss him like I need his air in order to breathe, which is exactly how I feel. Without stopping the kiss, he gently pushes into me and begins rocking in and out slowly. I clutch onto him tighter and wrap my legs around his hips. His lips trace a line from my ear to my collarbone. I can feel his tongue licking and sucking where my shoulder and neck meet.

"I love how you taste, baby." he whispers against my neck and I shiver under him. I dig my nails into his shoulder and bite down gently on his pulse point on his neck. He continues the slow rhythm until I feel the buildup low in my belly. I clench around him and he quickens his pace until I can't take anymore.

"Jace…." I gasp as I shatter all around him. He pushes into me a few more times and then he shudders and collapses on top of me whispering my name over and over again.

We lie like this for a while, catching our breath before rolling together onto our sides. He always makes sure to stay in me as long as he can because he knows how I love to feel him. We stare at each other for what seems like eternity just taking in everything about each other. There's no way I could ever feel like this with anyone else. I have found my matching puzzle piece. The piece that fits me perfectly and makes me whole. Jace is my whole.

**There it is. So what did you think? What about the graduation? Leave me your thoughts and opinions! :)**

**And always thanks to my pal, m1129 for your awesomeness!**

**Until next time. . . .**


	12. Chapter 12

**Happy Tuesday everyone! Sorry I didn't get this up this weekend but it's here and I hope you like it! I had some reviews to add some drama so I hope I didn't disappoint with this chapter. Anyway - on to the chapter!**

**Enjoy!**

**I do not own anything, I just like it a lot!**

**Chapter 12:**

**_Chapter Songs:_**

_Vindicated by Dashboard Confessional_

_Come Down by Bush_

_Disarm by The Smashing Pumpkins_

_Hemorrhage by Fuel_

_Return to Me by Matthew Ryan_

**Jace:**

School has started for all of us and as the weeks pass, we are getting accustomed to living on our own and juggling studying and still finding time to spend together. If Clary didn't sleep beside me each night, I would go crazy not being able to see her like I do. I need to see her, to touch her, and feel her daily in order to breathe.

I like pretty much all of my classes except one. This one has a persistent girl named Abby in it. She keeps trying to get me to have coffee with her after class or to agree to a study date with her. I have told her over and over that I have a very serious girlfriend, but until she saw me with Clary in the student center, I don't think she got it. Since she saw my beautiful girl, and sees how much I love her, she's backed off a little bit. I keep trying to push her toward this guy in my class who seems interested in her. Hopefully he will gain her attention and it will be off of me. Yesterday, I saw them sitting together in a group at the student center, so this made me hopeful.

I just exited my last class of the day. I'm meeting Clary at our spot so we can go home together. She gets out slightly before me so she is always waiting for me. When I round the corner, I see her standing with someone. She looks a little tense and the closer I get, I see her looking polite but I can tell she's very uncomfortable. Her smile is not real and her eyes are tight. I walk up and wrap my arm around her waist.

"Hey baby." I say giving her a peck on the temple, while looking at the guy who's making my girl uncomfortable.

"Hey. Um….Jace, this is Jonathon. He's in my art class. Jonathon, my boyfriend Jace." she introduces us emphasizing the word boyfriend. She must be getting unwanted attention in class too.

I reach my hand out, sizing this guy up. "It's nice to meet you." He takes my hand and I squeeze a little harder than normal, all the while analyzing his reaction. His eyes turn cold for a second and he smiles a forced smile.

"It's nice to meet you, too. I was just keeping Clary company while she waited for you." he says in a false polite tone. I don't like this guy or the attention he is giving my girl.

"Well, thanks but it's really not necessary. As you can see, she's not here long before I get here." I tell him giving him a look so he'll move along. He narrows his eyes at me and turns back to Clary and smiles brightly at her.

"I'll see you in class, Clary." he tells her and the way he says her name, like she's his makes me see red. He walks away after giving me one more look. I don't even realize my hand has curled into a fist until Clary gently rubs my hand to get me to relax. I tear my eyes away from Jonathon's retreating form and look down into the emerald eyes I can't live without. She gives me a small smile and I instantly begin to relax.

"I'm sorry. I just don't like how he was looking at you. You're mine." I tell her as I place my head against hers. She leans in and kisses me briefly on the lips.

"You know there's not another guy on this planet that could ever hold my attention the way you do, Jace. It's you and only you." she whispers against my lips. I moan and pull her even closer than she was and kiss her soundly. When we break apart, she gives me a coy smile.

"Let's go home and maybe you can show me how much I belong to you." she says with a wink.

I chuckle and kiss her temple as I steer us toward the street. "You have a deal, baby."

In the weeks that follow, I have noticed this Jonathon around wherever we are at school. He's either sitting on a bench nearby or across the student center, or walking by as we stand together talking. I really don't like the guy at all. I asked Clary about him and she just said that he was in her one class and sat beside her. She says he's nice but he spends too much time admiring her work in class. I know he makes her feel uncomfortable but she would never say anything to him because he hasn't done anything other than be too nice to her. I still don't like it. I'll be glad when she no longer has to see him anymore. I find myself rushing to get out of class each day to meet Clary so she's not by herself but a minute. I see her waiting for me and I see Jonathon nearby pretending to read one of the bulletins tacked on a tree.

"Hey baby. Ready to go home? I thought we could mess around a little before everyone else gets home." I say a little louder than I normally would. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Jonathon incline his head in our direction, no doubt listening to our conversation.

"Hmmm….I think we could definitely make use of the empty house. Let's go and I'll let you…" She leans up to my ear and whispers something naughty and grins at me. I grin back and pull her close and kiss her. When I release her lips I see Jonathon openly staring at us. I smirk at him and lead Clary away. I know he has the hots for her and he is not going to get anywhere near her.

I take Clary home and bring her up to our room. As soon as she's in, I close and lock the door. She turns toward me, standing in the middle of the room and grins at me. It takes three strides to get to her and my mouth crashes into hers. We kiss hungrily as I pull her clothes off roughly. For a moment we are all hands ripping and peeling off each other's clothes and devouring each other. Once we are both completely naked, I pick her up and push her against the wall. I kiss a trail down her jaw and neck, sucking and biting my way to her collarbone. With one hand, I grope her breasts and pinch her hard nipples between my thumb and finger enlisting a deep moan from her mouth. I run my hand down her stomach to the apex of her thighs and rub small circles around her clit, making her gasp. I smile against her skin and run a finger through her folds. She is so fucking wet. I insert two fingers in and curl them up, stroking her walls. She moans and pulls my hair and brings my mouth back to hers where she shoves her tongue in my mouth, running it all around. I remove my hand and thrust my cock deep inside her, making me lose my breath at the feeling of her drawing me in tighter.

"Jesus, Clary. You feel so fucking good. You know that?" I moan out, thrusting in and out at a steady rhythm.

"Don't stop, Jace. Don't ever stop loving me. God…." she breathes, clutching me to her closely.

"Never." I pick up the pace, slamming into her and watching her as she comes apart. When her eyes roll back I know she's close so I reach down and fondle her clit until I feel her explode around me soaking over my throbbing member. Seeing and feeling her like this brings me to the edge and I let go into a shattering orgasm that leaves both of us seeing stars. We're breathing heavy and my legs feel weak, so without removing myself from her, I carry her to the bed where we lie down together and fall asleep still joined.

~.o.O.o~

**Clary:**

I can't believe how fast this semester has flown by. We're all about to wrap up our first college semester and it feels fantastic. I love going to college, walking around campus, eating and grabbing coffee at the student center….I feel so grownup. I love living with my best friends. We have all become family. And just like a family, we sometimes argue over bathroom sharing and the cleaning, but we all love each other and wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

My classes this semester have been great. The only one that I won't miss so much is my art class unfortunately. Art is my major but in this class I have an overly friendly guy that seems to follow me around like a little puppy. I know Jace doesn't like him, but he hasn't ever done anything wrong, he's just annoying. Just as I pack up my things to meet Jace I catch Jonathon looking at me. I give him a small smile and exit the classroom. When I get to our meeting spot, I see a piece of paper next to the tree we meet at. When I get closer, I see my name typed on it. Smiling, I bend down and read it.

_Follow the path to the fountain to find your next clue ~ J_

How did Jace get here before me? He must have gotten out of class early. I take off for the fountain intrigued with these clues Jace is leaving me. When I get to the fountain, I see another clue.

_Go right from the fountain towards the dorms. There you will see a huge oak tree for your next clue. ~ J_

I turn right and follow my clue. My phone vibrates in my pocket and I see Isabelle's name on it.

"Hello?"

"Hey girl! You want to meet me for coffee at the student center before you head home?" she asks.

"I would but Jace is leaving me clues all over campus, like a scavenger hunt. I think he has some sort of surprise for me." I tell her excitedly.

"Okay. You guys have fun. I'll see you later at home." she says laughing lightly.

"Okay, bye." I hang up and continue to the tree in front of the dorms. I see my next clue and read it.

_On the other side of the dorm lot is a path. Follow it to your surprise. ~ J_

What is he doing? I shake my head and head to the other side of the dorm. I see the narrow path but I pause before taking it. I have an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach that I can't explain. I look around me and then back to the path. Why am I anxious? This is Jace. He is just wanting to surprise me. I take a deep breath and push away the negative thoughts and continue forward. The path ends in a clearing. I look around but don't see Jace or another clue. My skin prickles and I feel nauseous.

"That was a little too easy. It's a good thing my name starts with a J." I hear a familiar voice say. Slowly I turn and see Jonathon standing in front of the path, blocking my way.

"What are doing Jonathon?" I ask, hating how my voice is so shaky.

"What am I doing? I am taking what I want. I have had to sit back and watch you suck face with that piece of shit. I've had to watch you touch him and look at him with love and desire in your eyes. You should be looking at me like that. You should be touching me like that. Now I have you here, all alone and no one knows where you are. Now Clary, I will make you mine." he says as he brings a cloth to my face. I try to struggle but all too soon darkness takes over.

~o.O.o~

**Jace:**

I walk to meet Clary so we can go home together but when I get there I don't see her. I wait for a few minutes thinking she may have gotten held up in class. As I stand here waiting, I begin to feel very anxious. I decide to call her. It rings but she doesn't answer. Maybe she went to get coffee. I walk to the student center and see Isabelle and Simon with Jordan sitting together but no Clary.

"Hey. Have you guys seen Clary?" I ask when I get to the table.

Isabelle looks at me funny. "I thought Clary was with you."

"She wasn't at our usual meeting spot. I thought she might have come in here." I tell her while she still has that strange look on her face.

"Jace, I talked to her thirty minutes ago and she said you were leaving her clues all over campus. She said you were surprising her. If you weren't leaving her clues then who was?" she asks with worry lacing her voice.

My stomach drops and I feel the color drain from my face. _Oh my God….where is she?_ I try calling her again and still no answer. I start to pace.

"God Dammit! Where could she be? Think, think. God!" I'm losing it. Isabelle stands up and wraps her arms around me.

"We'll find her Jace." she tries to soothe.

"Didn't you put a tracking app on her phone, Jace?" Simon asks me. Of course! She's always losing her phone so I put a find my phone app so we can always find it.

"Simon! You're a genius!" I pull up the app and track Clary's phone. A map pops up and I see where her phone is. "I know where it is."

"I'm going with you." Isabelle says grabbing her things and running out the door with me. Jordan and Simon follow us. I drive as fast as I can worrying my thumb nail the whole time. _Please let her be there!_ We pull to a stop and I jump out. We are in a residential area near school with single houses lined up and down the street.

"Jace!" Isabelle hisses out. I turn to her and she comes up to me looking scared to death. "We can't go barging in there. We don't even know if she's here."

"The hell we can't. I don't know where my girl is. Her phone is here and I'll be damned if I'm going to sit around here and wait to see if she's here." I say and run towards the door. I don't even knock. I burst through the door and feel my blood boil over. Clary is lying on the couch unconscious with that bastard Jonathon hovering over her. I ram right into him, knocking him to the floor. My fists connecting with every inch of flesh I can find. I'm consumed in my rage. He slumps on the floor and stops moving but I don't care. I. Just. Don't. Care. Someone grabs my arm and I struggle to free it. I want to kill this fucker for putting his hands on Clary. _Clary! Oh my God, Clary!_ I come back to reality and crawl over to Clary where Isabelle and Simon are. Isabelle is crying and Simon is on the phone. Jordan is the one who pulled me off Jonathon. I reach out and touch Clary. She's still warm and I can see her breathing. I check her over for injuries but don't see any. And then it hits me. She's in a white nightgown. The bastard changed her clothes. Who knows what else he did to her? I growl and lunge for him again but again Jordan pulls me back.

In the distance I hear sirens. Simon must've called the police. I hold back the sob that threatens to rip itself out of my chest and take Clary's hand. The police rush in and so do paramedics. They come straight to Clary moving me out of the way. The police start questioning everyone, but all I can think about is if she's okay.

"Will she be alright? Did he….did he touch her?" I choke out. One of the paramedics gives me a sympathetic look.

"Sir. We're going to have to take her to the hospital to have her checked out fully, but she doesn't seem to have any visible injuries." she says to me and goes back to working on Clary.

"Why isn't she awake?" I whisper but no one hears me. A police officer walks over to me and stands in front of me.

"Can I ask you a few questions? Your sister already told me that Ms. Fray thought you were leaving clues for her. How did you know she would be here?" he asks tapping his pen to the pad of paper in his hand.

"I didn't. She's always losing her phone. I put an app on her phone so we can always find it. I used that and tracked her phone. I was praying she was here too. That bastard took her clothes off. He put her in that." I say pointing to Clary.

"Do you know this man?" the cop asks pointing to where Jonathon lay with a paramedic tending to the injuries I inflicted.

"His name is Jonathon. I don't know his last name. He's in Clary's art class. I think he has a thing for her. He seems to always be wherever we are." I tell him and get mad all over again.

"Thank you for your time. I'm sure you'll want to go to the hospital with your girlfriend. We'll conduct an investigation and get back in touch with you." he says before going over to his partner to start searching the house. I follow the paramedics to the ambulance. They allow me to sit with her and Isabelle, Simon, and Jordan follow in the car.

On the way to the hospital I hold Clary's hand and stare at her face. She looks so peaceful. I truly hope that bastard didn't hurt her. I scan her body and I cringe when I look at that damn nightgown again. I don't see any visible injuries either. I move some hair off of her head and tuck a curl behind her ear and I see it. I tiny pinprick on the side of her neck. I lean in closer and suck in a breath.

"I think she was given something." I say pointing to the spot on her neck. The woman leans over and looks at it. "She was, wasn't she? What did that fucker give her? Is that why she's not waking up?" I say, my voice rising with every question.

"Calm down, please. We won't know anything until we can do a blood test. Her vitals are good so that's promising." she says trying to calm my anger. I clench my fists and look out the back of the window. We come to a stop and the paramedics pull Clary out and run her inside. I follow as fast as I can but am pushed back just inside the emergency room doors. I stare at the doors she just went through. Someone places a hand on my shoulder and I turn to see Isabelle.

"I called mom and Jocelyn. They're on their way. Come sit down. Do you need anything? Coffee or something?" she asks and as I look at her, I notice she's been crying. I shake my head and let her lead me to the waiting room where Maia has now joined my friends. I sit down and bow my head. When the automatic doors open, I lift my head and see Clary's mom run in. Her eyes are wild and she's pale. I can't stand to see her like this so I place my head in my hands and let someone else do the talking.

Isabelle tells her everything that happened. I can't stand to hear it so I get up and start pacing. Mom comes in and sits beside Jocelyn giving her support. Magnus and Alec comes in a little while later. I glance up at the clock. We've been here an hour with no word. What is going on back there?

Another half an hour later, a doctor finally comes out. Clary's mom jumps up and comes forward. I stay where I am unable to move.

"Mrs. Fray. I'm Dr. Whitelaw and I've been running some tests on your daughter. She was given chloroform and an injection of some high powered pain killers. That's why she stayed unconscious for so long. She's awake now but very groggy and confused. We'd like to keep her overnight for observation." the doctor informs us.

I step forward and clear my throat. "Was she….did he rape her?" I ask, my voice so thick with anger I can hardly swallow.

"No, she wasn't. That was negative." He smiles a small smile and asks Clary's mom to follow him. I breathe out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

"Jace? You coming?" Jocelyn turns to ask me. I blink and follow her and the doctor down the hall.

"Mrs. Fray, your daughter has a scar indicating a significant surgery not so long ago. What can you tell me about that?" he asks as we walk down a stark white hallway.

"My daughter had kidney failure and had to have a transplant. Jace gave her his so she would live." Jocelyn says looking at me with pride in her eyes.

"I see. I don't know what her attacker had planned for her, but someone had drawn on her scar making marks on it as if prepping for surgery. That and the pain killers she was injected with would indicate he was guaranteeing her to stay unconscious for a while." he says as he comes to stop in front of a door.

Clary's mom gasps and her hand closes over her mouth. I clench my fists and almost bite through my tongue. He was going to kill her. My heart is beating so fast I think it might explode.

"She's right inside. You can on in." Dr. Whitelaw says and walks down the hall. Clary's mom goes to open the door and when I don't move she turns to me.

"I need a minute to calm down. I don't want to scare Clary. I'll be there in a few minutes." I say through clenched teeth. Clary's mom touches my arm and squeezes it and enters Clary's room.

I try to take deep calming breaths but I feel like I need to punch something. I haven't felt this angry in a long time. I close my eyes and slump down the wall until I'm sitting on the floor with my head hanging between my knees.

"Jace?"

I look up and see my mom. "Honey. Clary needs you right now. She's getting agitated not knowing where you are."

"Jesus! I'm so stupid. I should've gone to her immediately." I scramble off the floor and head to Clary's room. I take a deep breath and open the door. When she hears the door she whips her head around and pierces me with her eyes. I fall into the chair next to her and take her head in my hands and lie my head on hers.

"Jace….where have you been? I've been so worried." she whispers and I choke on a sob that's working its way up my throat.

"Clary…." my voice thick with emotion, I can't get anything else out or I will break. I feel my eyes pool with tears and I blink several times and watch them fall onto Clary's cheeks.

"Oh, Jace. I'm okay. You found me before he could do anything. You found me." she says caressing my wet face.

"I'll always find you, baby. Always. My God, I couldn't live if something had happened to you. I love you. I love you so much, baby. So incredibly much." I whisper against her mouth.

"You saved me again. I love you, too. So very much." And then I kiss her.

**Well...how was that for drama? Let me know what you think with your reviews or messages. As always, thank you so much m1129! You are more help than you probably realize! :)**

**Until next time. . . .**


	13. Chapter 13

**First of all I want to thank each and every one of you that reviewed after the last chapter. It made me feel excited to write and I haven't been feeling like that lately so thanks! Here's the next chapter...**

**Enjoy!**

**None of the characters and music are owned by me! :)**

**Chapter 13:**

**_Chapter Songs:_**

_Comes and Goes by Greg Laswell_

_Colorblind by Counting Crows_

_Karma Police by Radiohead_

**Clary:**

I won't be able to go home from the hospital until tomorrow. My mom is fussing over me and I'm trying to convince her to go home, that she doesn't need to stay with me. Jace sits in the chair in the corner with his head down. I love my mom but I really need her to leave so I can talk to Jace. I stare at him and he must sense it because he lifts his head and gives me a small smile. I return it and pat the spot next to me on the bed. He stands up and sits down and takes my hand, pulling it to his mouth to place a soft kiss on my knuckles. Vaguely, I hear my mom leave the room.

"Jace, talk to me." I plead.

"I'm just….I don't know, angry. I don't know why I can't calm down. I know you're okay and that you're safe, but I'm just so mad that this happened at all. I would die if anything had happened to you. I never liked the guy and I should've trusted my instincts. I should've protected you." he says squeezing his eyes shut.

"Jace, listen to me. How could you have possibly known Jonathon was like that? You couldn't have. Stop blaming yourself. I love you and you do protect me. I always feel safe with you. Do you hear me?" I beg. I just want him to stop feeling so helpless.

"Okay. I'm sorry." he leans over and kisses me on the mouth but we're interrupted by a knock on the door. The door opens to reveal two police officers. The woman, tall with white blonde hair pulled in a low ponytail. The man behind her is also tall with very short brown hair and dark, almost black eyes.

"Ms. Fray, I'm Detective Belcourt and this is my partner Fell. We've been assigned your case. Would now be a good time to talk?" she asks.

"Sure." I say sitting up a little better. Jace makes to get up, but I grab his hand and keep him next to me. He settles back beside me and squeezes my hand.

"We've just come from the home of Jonathon Morganstern and we've found some rather disturbing things. How long have you known Mr. Morganstern?" Detective Belcourt asks, taking a seat in the chair Jace occupied earlier. My mom comes back in and notices the visitors. She introduces herself and comes to stand beside me.

"Just since this semester started. He's in my art class and sits beside me." I tell her. She writes something down and looks back up at me.

"So you haven't known him long then." She reaches into a folder and pulls out several pictures. "Do you know when these pictures were taken?" she asks handing them over to me. I look down at them. So many of me doing random things. Me drinking coffee, me walking on campus, me reading, me laughing, me drawing, me smiling, me sitting. Picture after picture of me. One catches my eye. It's me dancing at prom. Prom? I didn't know Jonathon before I started college. More of me at prom and then at the graduation party at Aline's. I frown looking at these. I look at Jace and see he's thinking the same thing.

"I don't understand. Some of these are from before I graduated high school. I didn't meet Jonathon until I started college. How did he get these? These are from my senior prom and graduation party." I say, reeling from seeing so many pictures of me.

"We have reason to believe that Mr. Morganstern has been stalking you. He recently dropped out of medical school and enrolled at your school. We also found some surgical tools in his house. They were cleaned and ready to be used. Your doctor told us about the marks made on your scar. We believe he was preparing you for surgery. As soon as he's discharged, we'll be bringing him in for questioning." she says as she stands to go.

"Where did you get all of those pictures?" Jace asks before they leave the room. Detective Belcourt turns back to us.

"One wall in his bedroom was completely covered in pictures of her. He had a sick obsession and she's very fortunate you came along when you did to stop him." With that she leaves. Mom is silently crying and I take her hand.

"Mom, it's okay. It's okay." I try to soothe.

Mom reaches out and takes Jace's hand too. "Thank you."

Jace's lips press together and he forces a smile. "I love her and will do anything for her." he says to mom but keeps his eyes fixed on me. We stay like this for a while until mom decides to go home. Jace insists on staying with me so I scoot over to let him climb in beside me. He pulls me tight against him and rests his arm around me. We fall asleep just like this, wrapped up and tangled together.

The next morning I wake to a nurse checking my vitals again but Jace is no longer lying beside me. I sit up higher on the pillows and when the nurse leaves I get up to go to the bathroom. When I come back to the bed I notice a note on the table. I climb back in the bed and pick up the note.

_Clary,_

_I wanted to be there when Jonathon was questioned. I called your mom and she will be by later to take you home. I'll see you as soon as I can. Take it easy today and I love you._

_Jace_

I sigh and close my eyes. I've never seen him like this before. After a while the doctor comes in with mom and says I am good to go home, so I change into some clothes Isabelle brought in and mom takes me home.

I'm greeted at the door by all of my housemates. Everyone fusses over me and brings me to the couch. Magnus hovering the most.

"Oh biscuit! We've been so worried about you. What would you like to eat? We'll cook anything you want or Alec can go and get you something." he says stroking my hair. I laugh and swat his hand away.

"You guys do realize I was not physically hurt. I'm fine. I'm not really hungry right now. I think I'll go out back and draw for a while. Really, I'm good." I say as I get up and grab a sketch book and pencils to draw with. I go outside and sit on the swing and start absently sketching. My mind wandering to those pictures the detectives showed me last night. How did he get them? He didn't go to school with us then, so how? I feel like there's something I'm missing but I can't figure it out. I begin feeling frustrated and I really want Jace to come home. I want to call him, but I don't even know where my phone is. With a heavy heart, I decide to go in and lie down on my bed and wait for him to come home.

~o.O.o.~

**Jace:**

Gently rolling Clary off of my chest, I climb out of her hospital bed and write her a note telling her where I'm going. I place it beside her bed and look down at her sleeping peacefully. I lightly run my fingers down her cheek and bend down to kiss her head. I leave her room and head to the police station. I just have to be there when they question Jonathon. I need to know why he took her and what he wanted to do to her. Thankfully, Jordan brought my car over last night so I could take Clary home today. As I drive away from the hospital, I call Jocelyn and ask her to take Clary home when they discharge her.

When I get to the station, I look around for either of the detectives that came by Clary's room last night, but I don't see them. I decide to ask the guy at the desk.

"Excuse me? Are Detectives Belcourt or Fell here?" I ask the balding man behind the counter. He looks up at me and picks up the phone and dials a number.

"It'll be just a minute." he informs me and gestures to the bench behind me. I nod at him and sit down to wait. A few minutes later Detective Belcourt comes out of a room.

"Mr. Lightwood. I wasn't expecting you today. What can I do for you?" she asks shaking my hand.

"Have you questioned Jonathon yet?" I ask standing up and rubbing the back of my neck.

"My partner has just brought him in. Fell's doing the interrogation and I'm recording from another room. Would you like to listen in?" she asks.

I nod. "Yeah. I would."

"Okay, then. Follow me." she says and walks down a hall to a door on the left. I follow her in and see a window looking into another room where Jonathon Morganstern sits bruised and battered, handcuffed to the table he sits in front of. Detective Fell across from him. Belcourt gestures for me to sit.

Fell starts the questioning, asking basic question like his family and age and things like that. And then I sit up straighter when he starts asking the questions I want to hear.

"When did you meet Clarissa Fray?"

"Officially I met her in the art class we shared. But the first time she captured my attention was nearly a year ago." he says calmly.

"When was that?"

"At her senior prom. She was absolutely the most beautiful girl there. She was wearing a dark purple dress with black lace covering it with a slit up the side that showed off her gorgeous legs. The color made her fiery red hair glow like an angel. I wanted her right then." he says in a serene voice. And then his face turns cold. "But she was with him. He was always touching her and she was smiling at him the whole night, and then they left early and it made me so mad."

"Is that the last time you saw her before she started college?"

"No. I saw her at her graduation party. She actually smiled at me as she walked past me but again that parasite was plastered to her side the whole time and I couldn't get her alone. I had to do something so I could see her without him being around. Aline told me all about their connection. Him giving her his kidney and all. It sickened me."

I perk up when I hear Aline's name. How does he know Aline?

"Who's Aline?"

A girl who dated my roommate. I thought she was pretty hot so when he got bored with her, I took over. We hooked up several times. She was a good piece of ass until I saw Clary. And then I pretended she was Clary every time until I couldn't stand it anymore." he says making a face.

"When did you drop out of medical school?"

"I learned everything I could about Clary from Aline, which wasn't much. They weren't close. When I found out where she was going and what classes she was taking, I dropped out and enrolled there."

"How did you get the chloroform, pain killer, and surgical tools?"

"I stole them before I dropped out."

"What were you planning on doing with the surgical tools?"

"She wouldn't give me a chance. She kept saying she had a boyfriend. I wanted to break their bond. If I couldn't have her, then he sure as hell wasn't going to have her. I wanted to cut his kidney out of her so she wouldn't be tied to him anymore. She belongs to me. She is mine. All I had were her pictures. I went to sleep each night staring at her beautiful face but he got to have the real thing. He got to touch her. I wanted him to hurt as much I did every time I had to see them together." he sneers, twisting his features in a cold, calculated look.

I realize my fists are clenched so tight, my fingernails are digging into my palms. I take a few calming breaths.

"What will he be charged with?" I ask tightly.

"He'll be charged with kidnapping and attempted murder. He's not going to be able to get near her again. Go home and take care of your girl. She probably needs you right now." Detective Belcourt says gently.

I nod and stand up. "Thank you." I leave the station and hurry home to see how Clary's doing. Home to the only one who can calm me now.

When I get there, I notice everyone in the living room except Clary.

"Hey. Where's Clary?" I ask nervously.

"She's upstairs resting. What did you find out?" Isabelle asks.

I tell them what Jonathon confessed to and see everyone's face as they process how close we were to losing Clary. "Please keep that to yourselves. I don't think Clary needs to know the details. They all agree not to say anything about it.

I give them a small smile and run up the stairs two at a time. When I enter our room I see her curled up on my pillow. My heart breaks to see her like this. I sit on the edge of the bed and stroke her hair. She gasps and sits up.

"Oh!"

"Clary. What is it?" I ask pulling her close to me.

"I know where I saw him. He was at prom, Jace. He was Aline's date at prom. He was there." she says frantically.

"Shh. I know baby. I heard his confession today. He's going away for a long time. You don't need to worry about him. He's gone." I tell her gently. I squeeze her a little tighter and kiss her on the top of the head.

She pulls back to look at me. "What happened today? What did he say?" Her eyes wide and scared.

I shake my head. I can't tell her all of the details he confessed to. I don't want her to have nightmares that I will probably suffer from now. "He's just a sick person, baby. He saw you and became obsessed with you and he hated me for being with you. I don't want to think about him anymore. I just want to lie here and hold you for a while." I tell her as I pull her down on the bed with me. I wrap my arms around her and she places her head on my chest right over my heart. I close my eyes and inhale deeply. "I love you."

She moves her head and kisses my chest. "I love you." she whispers and we end up falling asleep together.

A few days later we get a visit from Aline. She rushes in and grasps Clary in a bone crushing hug. "Oh my God, Clary! I just heard about what happened. I am so sorry!" she gasps out. Clary tries to step back but Aline has a grip on her. I go up and remove Clary from Aline.

"Why don't you come in, Aline?" I say as I lead them to the living room. Jordan and Maia are sitting on the loveseat together watching TV. They see us and get up to leave us alone. I appreciate the gesture and nod at them before they leave.

We sit down and I bring Clary as close as I can. Aline sits in the chair across from us.

"Oh, Clary. I had no idea Jonathon was such a psycho. He hid it well." she says shaking her head.

"Aline, it's not your fault. He fooled us all." Clary says, her words soothing Aline's conscience.

"How did you meet Jonathon?" I ask. I've been wondering how someone his age ended up at a senior prom. Jonathon is 24 years old.

"I was dating Sebastian. You met him at my birthday party, remember? Anyway, Jonathon and Sebastian lived together. One day I went over there and Jonathon told me that Sebastian was with some other girl. I was so upset and Jonathon comforted me and told me Sebastian was an idiot to let me go. He asked me out and I said yes. We went out several times and had lots of fun and the sex was fantastic…sorry. Anyway, he agreed to be my date for prom. But after prom he seemed different. He seemed interested in my friends, asking questions about everyone. At the time, I thought he was making an effort to get to know everyone in my life because he was so into me. After graduation, he just fell off the face of the earth. He moved out of his and Sebastian's place. Sebastian said he hadn't seen him or talked to him. He never called me back. I was hurt and pissed. Then I read in the paper and I couldn't believe it. I felt so bad that if it wasn't for me, he would've never come to prom and he would've never seen you. I'm so glad he was caught before he hurt you, Clary. I know we aren't that close, but I don't want to see you get hurt. I really want us to be better friends." Aline says and reaches across the space and takes Clary's hands and squeezes them. Okay, maybe Aline isn't so bad.

I glance at Clary and see her smile sweetly at Aline. "I would like that too, Aline. I'm sorry he hurt you, too. You're a beautiful girl and I know you will find someone who will treat you the way you deserve to be treated." she tells Aline. Aline beams a giant smile at Clary and jumps up and hugs Clary.

"Thank you. You don't know how much that means to me." she says with tears in her eyes. She stands up and looks at both of us. "I hope I find a love like you have. You guys are lucky."

Clary looks at me and smiles. "Yes we are. Very lucky." I smile back at her and Aline starts for the door. We stand up and walk her out. At the door, she turns back to us.

"Can we get together sometime and hang out?" she asks, hopeful.

"Of course. Why don't you come by Saturday and we'll cook something and hang out? All of us." Clary suggests.

Aline smiles and nods. "I would like that. Thanks, Clary. See you guys Saturday then. Bye." And then she's gone.

Clary turns to me and smiles. I shake my head because I know what she's thinking.

"I know, I know. Aline is not the person I thought she was in high school, okay? Is that what you wanted to hear?" I ask with amusement.

She giggles. "Not quite. I want to hear you say I was right and you were wrong."

I pull her against me and kiss her chastely on the mouth. "Fine. Are you ready for this?" I ask as I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I was wrong about Aline. You were absolutely right about everything, as always. I will never doubt anything you say ever, ever again. Was that good?"

She wraps her arms around my neck and kisses me. "That was even better than I imagined. I think you deserve a reward, don't you?" she asks in a low voice.

My mouth starts watering when she says this. "What do you have in mind, baby?"

She smiles a seductive smile. "Well, I think this conversation needs to be done in the privacy of our bedroom."

I grin at her and whisk her into my arms. I carry her upstairs to our bedroom. I kick the door closed and plop her down on our bed. I sidle up beside her and prop my head on my hand and look down at her laughing face. "We're in private now. What kind of reward are you thinking about giving me?"

She doesn't say anything, but her hands seems to be doing the talking. She slowly runs her hands down my chest and abs until she reaches the bulge in my pants. She caresses my dick through my jeans and I bite back a moan. Her eyes haven't left mine and I can't look away from her. Her nimble fingers undo the button of my jeans and then the zipper. She continues to rub me this time through the material of my boxers. Involuntarily, my hips jut out to meet her hand and she bites her lower lip, which drives me wild. But then, I feel her hand inside my boxers and I can no longer take it. I break eye contact to close my eyes and feel the sensations she's bringing to me. When she pulls my dick free, a tremor rocks through me. "Clary…." I choke out. I don't know if I want her to stop or keep doing that forever. And then her thumb grazes the tip and I leap forward and join our mouth together and hungrily kiss her.

Without taking my lips off of hers, I strip off all of her clothes off and then mine and I sink into her until I can't tell where I end and she begins. I begin to rock back and forth slowly and she grabs my bare ass and pulls me deeper.

"Faster, Jace. I want you." she moans. I obey her commands and give it to her as fast and hard as I can without hurting her. She moans in pleasure and that's all I need to explode inside her. I feel her tighten around me, drawing me in deeper as her wall quiver around me. I fall back down and catch my breath.

"Damn, baby. I really like your rewards." I tell her and smile when she giggles.

"Thank you. I really like your gratitude from receiving my rewards." she says, kissing me lightly on the mouth. I wrap her up in my arms and this is how we are when we drift off to sleep.

**Isn't Jonathon one sick bastard? He was perfect in my other story and for some reason he seemed to want to be evil in this story. Tell me what you think...I absolutely get so excited to see new reviews and they encourage me to keep going with this story. And to my friend m1129 - thank you for being so awesome! **

**Until next time. . . .**


	14. Chapter 14

**It's been a while but here is the next chapter. I'm running out of ideas with this story so if any of you out there have some ideas to share, please send them my way! I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint. I really don't know how I feel about how it turned out, but my pal m1129 assured me that it was good. So anyway - Enjoy!**

**Mature readers for this one and as always, I own nothing!**

**Chapter 14:**

**_Chapter Songs:_**

_Wake up by Arcade Fire_

_I Swear this time I Mean It by Mayday Parade_

_On Your Arm by Schuyler Fisk_

_Shaken by the Resistance by A Minor Swoon_

_Come Down by Bush_

**Clary:**

It's been weeks since the incident with Jonathon and everyone has finally stopped hovering over me every five seconds. As annoying as it was, I know they all care for me and that's why they felt the need to be with me 24/7. As for Jace, he is still somewhat overprotective, but I think that's understandable. I would probably not want him out of my sight if something had happened to him. Aline has become a regular in our household. She's been coming over and hanging out with us on the weekends since she came over after hearing about Jonathon.

Jonathon Morganstern was arrested and convicted of kidnapping and attempted murder and was sent to a psychiatric prison out of state. No one will tell me the details surrounding the case. Jace says it's to protect me and I appreciate that but a part of me wants to know what he was going to do to me. I know it must have been pretty bad, because Jace has had several nightmares over the last several weeks. Each time he screams out my name and is visibly shaken when he wakes from them. I try to comfort him but I don't know what else to do other than love him and assure him that I am fine and safe because he's always saving me.

The holidays have come and gone and we are almost half-way through our last semester this year. Today is Saturday and the boys are getting things together to grill out and the girls and I are making the sides. Aline is coming over soon with dessert. We plan on hanging out around the fire pit. Jace mentioned bringing the guitars out and messing around with them. I love to hear him sing. Especially when he sings for me. Sometimes at night before bed he'll play me something and sing to me before he makes love to me and I feel like the luckiest girl in the world.

Aline arrives and we all eat sitting on the floor around the coffee table, laughing and talking about anything and everything. Everyone seems so happy, but I wish Aline could find someone. I'll have to see what I can do about that. After we eat, there are no dishes so we go outside and Alec and Simon start the fire and get it going. Jace and Jordan grab the guitars and join us.

Jace and Jordan play and sing and we all join in on some of the songs together. I love doing this with my friends.

Jace starts strumming a song and I smile when I hear the first notes. He glances at me and I lean over and kiss his neck right below his ear. When I pull back, he sneaks a kiss to my lips before he begins to sing.

**Oh Florida, please be still tonight.**

**Don't disturb this love of mine.**

**Look how she's so serene, you've gotta help me out.**

**And count the stars to form the lines, and find the words we'll sing in time.**

**I want to keep her dreaming, it's my one wish, I won't forget this.**

**I'm outdated, overrated, morning seems so far away.**

**So I'll sing a melody.**

**And hope to God she's listening, sleeping softly while I sing.**

**And I'll be your memories, your lullaby for all the times, hoping that my voice could get it right.**

He smiles at me and doesn't take his eyes off of me and that just makes me fall even more in love with him than I already was.

**If luck is on my side tonight, my clumsy tongue will make it right.**

**And wrists that touch, it isn't much, but it's enough.**

**To form imaginary lines. **

**Forget your scars, we'll forget mine.**

**The hours change so fast.**

**Oh, God, please make this last.**

**Cause I'm outdated, overrated, morning seems so far away.**

**So I'll sing a melody.**

**And hope to God she's listening, sleeping softly while I sing.**

**And I'll be your memories, your lullaby for all the times, hoping that my voice could get it right.**

**Could get it right.**

**You could crush me.**

**Please don't crush me.**

**Cause baby, I'm a dreamer for sure.**

**And I won't let you down.**

**I swear this time I mean it.**

**So I'll sing a melody.**

**And hope to God she's listening, sleeping softly while I sing.**

**And I'll be your memories, your lullaby for all the times, hoping that my voice could get it right.**

Everyone claps and hoots for my man. I get up and take his guitar and put it on the ground and sit in his lap. His arms automatically go around me and I kiss him soundly on the mouth. I lean my head on his and look into his eyes.

"Have I told you how much I love for you to sing to me?" I whisper. He shakes his head and I brush my lips against his. "I fall in love with you more every time you sing."

"Well, then I guess I'll have to serenade you every day. You know, so you'll love me more." he teases.

"Uh huh." I kiss him again before sliding off his lap. I look around and no one was paying any attention to our display of affection. They're all used to it by now, I guess. We continue hanging around the fire and enjoying each other's company.

"Aren't you going to play too, Clary?" Aline asks as she hands me my guitar. I shake my head.

"Come on. Sing for us." Isabelle adds. Jace smiles at me and nods toward my guitar. I pick it up and adjust the strings. I strum a few times until I'm satisfied it sounds good.

"Alright. I think I know what song I want to sing. You guys haven't ever heard it before because I wrote this one a few months ago when I was messing around and well I think it turned out okay." I say with a shrug. I glance at Jace and see how surprised he is. I take a deep breath and let it out and begin playing.

_You always felt like home._

_And you knew my favorite song and I love the way you say my name._

_I love just about everything._

_Wake up to your morning face._

_Love you a little bit more every day._

_Love the way you walk into the room._

_It's just the little things…._

_Cause on your arm, I could fall asleep._

_And on your arm, it's the best of me._

_And on your arm, I go anywhere._

_Cause I know that you'll be there._

_Count a million ways to stay….on your arm._

_I can't believe you belong to me._

_I guess I must have done something right._

_How did we get here and where did we start?_

_You follow my heart._

_And on your arm, I could fall asleep._

_And on your arm, it's the best of me._

_And on your arm, I go anywhere._

_Cause I know that you'll be there._

_Count a million ways to stay….on your arm._

_Oh, my love…would you take me?_

_Oh, my love…just take me on your arm._

_On your arm._

_Cause on your arm, I could fall asleep._

_And on your arm, it's the best of me._

_And on your arm, I go anywhere._

_Cause I know that you'll be there._

_Count a million ways to stay….on your arm._

_On your arm._

_On your arm._

When I finish, I open my eyes and look at the shocked faces of my friends. I glance at Jace and see his face filled with awe.

"Wow, Clary that was awesome! You really wrote that?" Maia exclaims. Everyone agrees and I just smile shyly and look down into the fire. Jace's hand slides onto mine and entwines our fingers, bringing them to his lips.

"I never knew you wrote songs, baby. Why didn't you tell me?" he asks quietly.

"I don't write songs. That one just kind of happened one day when I was thinking of you. Did you like it?" I ask uncertainly.

"Did I like it? No, baby. I didn't just simply like it. I fucking loved it. God, you have no idea how amazing you are." he tells me with a serious tone. "I think we need to get upstairs. I need to get you alone to show you just how much I loved that song." he adds, this time with a gleam in his eyes.

I giggle and kiss him on the cheek. "I think we'll have to wait a little while for that, but I promise to make it worth your while." I whisper in his ear. He growls and puts his arm around me and pulls me closer to him.

After another hour or so of more music and more talking and laughing, we all decide to call it a night. I walk Aline to the door while everyone else puts out the fire and cleans the kitchen up from dinner.

"Clary, this was so fun tonight. I really appreciate you guys letting me come over and hang out." Aline tells me at the door.

"Anytime Aline, you know that."

"That song you wrote was really beautiful. You and Jace are too stinking cute together. You guys are my relationship role models. I hope to find what you have one day." she says wistfully.

"I have no doubt you will. It will happen Aline. Please be careful going home. Maybe next weekend just us girls can go out and do something." I offer. I know it must be hard to hang out with a bunch of couples all the time.

"That would be awesome. I'll call you sometime this week so we can make plans. Take care, Clary." she says as she goes down the walk to her car. I wave and shut the door just as two strong arms go around me and pulls me against a warm chest. I sigh in contentment. Soft lips kiss the shell of my ear.

"I hear you're going to plan a girl's night next weekend. Just what exactly does that consist of?" he whispers in my ear. I smile and turn in his arms.

"Nothing too naughty, I promise." I tease.

"You better only be naughty with me." he growls and pulls me closer and smashes his mouth to mine, kissing me thoroughly. I smile against his lips and feel his reciprocate.

"I love you, Jace." I say with a smile, cradling his face between my palms.

"I know you do." he says quietly. "And you know I love and trust you, right? I was just teasing you."

"I do know that. I trust you, too. Let's go up and get ready for bed. Will you play for me tonight?" I ask as I pull him toward the stairs.

"I'll do whatever you want me to." he replies and follows me up the stairs to our bedroom.

~o.O.o~

**Clary:**

I enter my classroom and sit in my usual seat. The chair scrapes back next to me and I smile at the familiar face sitting down.

"Hey Clary. How was your weekend?"

"It was great. How was yours?" I ask Brett, my lab partner in this class. In the last several weeks, we've gotten to know one another pretty well. He's actually got a class with Jace too and they get along really well.

"Can't complain." he replies and begins unpacking his bag. I look at him and a thought pops up in my head.

"Brett? Are you dating anyone?"

He turns to look at me with a confused look on his face. "Aren't you with Jace?"

I laugh. "Yes, I am but I have a friend that I think you would like. I was just wondering if you were dating anyone and if not, would you like to meet my friend."

He chuckles and shakes his head. "No, I'm not seeing anyone and yeah I guess I could meet your friend."

"Great, how about tomorrow night? We could all meet up and grab a bite to eat and I could introduce you to Aline." I tell him with growing excitement.

"Okay, sure." he smiles and begins copying the notes from the board. I smile and grab my phone and text Aline.

_What are you doing tomorrow night? I want you to meet someone. ~Clary_

A few minutes later, my phone buzzes. I look at the text from Aline and smile.

**_I have no plans. What do you have in mind? ~Aline_**

_Meet up at my place at 6:00 and then we'll go from there. See you tomorrow. ~Clary_

**_Okay, see you then. ~Aline_**

"Aline's meeting us at my place at 6:00. You want to meet us there around 6:15? I'll text you the address."

"Okay, sounds good." he smiles and continues taking notes. We continue the class engaging in small talk. I tell him a little about Aline and I can sense his excitement growing. I hope it goes well.

After my classes, I meet up with Jace at the student center.

"Hey baby." he greets me with a kiss.

"Hey! We have dinner plans tomorrow night. I'm setting Aline and Brett from my lab class up. What do you think?" I ask.

"I think you're pretty cute." he says and kisses me again.

"I'm serious, Jace." I say trying to hide my smile.

"I am too. You are cute. Cute and sexy and beautiful and smart. Just perfect. And I think that Brett will like Aline, so this may work out for them." he says, grabbing my hips and pulling me to him.

The next night, I finish getting ready for our double date with Aline and Brett. Just as I put on my shoes, I hear the doorbell. A few seconds later, I hear Isabelle calling out for me and Jace.

Jace comes in the room and his eyes rake over me from my head to my toes, causing my skin to tingle and my cheeks to turn red.

He slowly walks to me and stops right in front of me. "You look amazing….and as much as I love seeing you in this dress, I'm going to like taking it off of you even more." he whispers as he takes my mouth with his.

"I look forward to it, but for now, we have to go play matchmaker." I tell him and pull him to the door. When we get downstairs, Aline is sitting in the living room talking to Isabelle.

"Hey, Aline." Jace and I come into the living room and sit down on the loveseat opposite Aline and Isabelle.

"Hey guys! So Clary. Tell me about this friend you want me to meet tonight." she says and I can see how excited she is although she's trying to rein it in.

I smile and tell her about Brett. She asks what he looks like and before I can respond, the doorbell goes off again. Jace gets up to let Brett in and I watch as he walks in behind Jace and goes up to Aline.

"Aline, this is Brett." I introduce. They keep their eyes locked and slowly Aline stands up and holds her hand out.

"It's nice to meet you, Brett." she says smiling brightly. She looks incredible and by the look on Brett's face, he is not disappointed.

Jace clears his throat and finally they look away from each other. "You guys, ready? I thought maybe we could go to Taki's for dinner."

We all agree and Jace and I walk out with Brett and Aline walking side by side behind us. They climb in the backseat together and Jace and I take the front. Jace places his hand on my knee and smiles at me while Brett and Aline talk quietly in the back. Every now and then we hear Aline giggle about something. It seems they are really hitting it off.

We park outside of Taki's and we all walk in. Aline and I walk to a booth in a somewhat secluded corner of the restaurant. After ordering our food, we settle in and talk.

"So, Brett. How do you and Clary know each other?" Aline asks after taking a sip of her drink.

Brett smiles at her and she returns it before answering her. "We are lab partners in class and I also have a class with Jace so I've known both of them for some time now. Clary tells me you all went to high school together and now you're working at your father's investment firm. How do you like working there?"

"It's alright, I guess. I'm taking some courses online so I can work and learn the family business. I'm an only child and my father wants me to run it one day. I'd prefer something else but I don't know what. What about you? What's your story?" she asks putting her chin in her hand and giving him her undivided attention. He explains his major is business but he hasn't thought of his career plans yet. I feel like Jace and I should leave them to get to know each other better, but I don't want either of them to feel uncomfortable. I give Jace a look and he nods.

"Hey, Aline? I'm going to the restroom. Do you need to go to?" I ask giving her a signal that I want to talk. She nods and turns back to Brett.

"I'll be right back." she says quietly. We get up and walk to the restrooms. Once inside, I turn to Aline and raise my eyebrows at her.

"Well? What do you think?" I ask when she only smiles at me.

'He's wonderful. He's so easy to talk to. Thank you for introducing us." she says and surprises me with a hug. I hug her back and pull away.

"Would you like if Jace and I take off so you guys can get to each other? I don't want you to be uncomfortable." I tell her.

"It's okay. I feel like I've known him. You guys go and we'll call a taxi back to get our cars." she says with a smile. I hug her and we walk back to the table. Jace stands when I get there and takes my hand.

"We're going to take off." Jace says and I wave good-bye to Brett and Jace and I leave Taki's. When he gets in the car, he looks at me and smiles. Reaching over, he trails his fingers down my face.

"What do you want to do now?" he asks. I close my eyes and there's only one thing on my mind right now. I open them and look into his golden eyes.

"I believe you wanted to help me out of my dress earlier. It's awfully uncomfortable…." I trail off suggestively. He smirks and runs his hand down my side to my thigh, inching my dress up inch by inch. When my panties come into view, he rubs me through them and feels how wet I am.

"You are so damn sexy. You drive me crazy." he says and starts the car. Gripping the steering wheel tightly, he drives to a hotel in town.

"What are you doing?" I ask looking out my window. I glance at him and see him adjust his pants before getting out to open my door.

"I thought we could use absolute privacy. Come on." Jace walks us inside and checks us into a room. We board the elevator and Jace backs me into the corner and ravages my mouth. I feel his hands snaking up my dress until I feel him right where I want him to be. He groans and pulls back.

"I cannot wait to get you inside that room." he tells me breathlessly and I shiver with want. Finally the doors open and Jace all but drags me to our room. Opening the door he pulls me in and in one swift movement, he has me pinned to the door. He kisses me until I'm dizzy.

"God, Jace….Take this dress off. Please…." I plead.

He pulls me to the center of the room and gets behind me. He moves my hair to one side and kisses the side of my neck down to the tops of my shoulders, all the while, his hands skim down my back, bringing the zipper down with their descent. He pushes the dress down and I step out of it. I turn to face him and watch his eyes go black with lust for me.

"God, you're beautiful." he whispers huskily. I step closer and begin to unbutton his shirt while kissing every exposed patch of skin I can. He moans softly and I relish the fact that I get to do this with him. I push his shirt off of his shoulders and glide my hands down his chiseled chest and abs. I linger at the waistband of his jeans and slowly pop open the button and slide the zipper down.

"Clary….you're killing me." he groans and flexes his fingers against my hips. I push his jeans and boxers down in one motion and free his very erect cock.

"Mmmm….you are so damn hot." I lick my dry lips. "Sometimes I can't believe you are mine. That I get to do this to you." I rub down the length of his cock and press my breasts tightly against him. "Do you know how incredibly lucky I am?" I whisper against his mouth. He releases a shaky breath and moves his hands up to undo my bra and slide it down and off my arms.

"I feel the same…oh God….way, baby. Let me show you what I want to do to you." he breathes in my mouth as his tongue invades the space. I moan and increase my tempo on his impressive length.

He kneels before me and gently pulls down my panties, kissing my thighs along the way. And then I feel his hot mouth on my sensitive flesh and I quiver under his ministrations. He takes my thigh and places it on his shoulder and opens me further. His tongue and teeth move over me and I feel my legs weaken. I pull on Jace's hair and he pulls back and sweeps me up in his arms and takes me to the bed. He lays me down on the center and takes my naked form in.

"Turn over. On your knees." he commands huskily.

I turn over and sit up on my knees. He climbs up behind me and gently pushes my head down on the bed while keeping a hold of me around my waist to keep my ass in the air. He rubs a hand down my spine and over my bottom before sinking two fingers inside me. I squirm and push back on his fingers. He removes them and before I can complain he slams into me causing me to gasp. He doesn't slow his movements, just keeps thrusting into me over and over until I am a quivering mess under him. I feel the tightening in my belly and I release with a cry. Jace plunges harder and then he spills inside me and collapses on my back, kissing my neck and shoulders and whispering his love for me in my ear. After we catch our breath, he rolls off and pulls down the covers. We climb in and lie in each other's arms watching TV. I could stay wrapped up in Jace for the rest of my life….

**Hmmm...So there we have it. Let me know if you liked it and remember, I'm taking ideas from you guys! And thank you to my good friend m1129 for all of your support! **

**Review please!**

**Until next time. . . .**


	15. Chapter 15

**Well I just want you to know that I only started writing this chapter two days ago. I worked fast to be able to upload within a week of the last one. I hope it doesn't seem rushed or thrown together. Enjoy!**

**I own Ana (new character and Brett) all others are Cassandra Clare's**

**Chapter 15:**

**_Chapter Songs:_**

_Someone New by Hozier_

_Everything by Rob Blackledge_

_The Ladder by Andrew Belle_

_The Weight of Us by Sanders Bohlke_

**Jace:**

The weeks have turned to months and the months have turned into years. We are now almost finished with our third year of college. We all still live together in the brownstone, but Alec and Magnus are graduating soon and I feel like some changes are coming to our circle of friends. Brett has joined our group over the last year. Him and Aline are very much together and are even turning over the idea of moving in together. They've been looking at some places nearby. And Clary….I still feel as strongly about her as always, if not more so. Her 21st birthday is this week and we are going to a karaoke bar because Clary loves it so much. With Aline's help, we've managed to have a semi-private party for her there. People can choose to come in but have to understand that the night belongs to Clary. Aline's money knows no bounds. I have something special in the works for her and I can't wait until Friday.

I'm getting along in my classes. I love all of my music classes. One of my instructors has asked me to teach her 15 year old son the guitar. I feel honored that she thinks enough about my abilities to trust me to teach her son. I just don't know how good I'll be at teaching. Maybe I can talk Clary into coming with me at least for the first few visits. She's so good with people and she knows enough about the guitar to teach him herself. She could've easily gotten a scholarship in music but art is her passion. She's equally good in both areas though.

I walk inside our room and find Clary sitting on the bed cross-legged with a sketch pad in front of her. I walk up to her and kiss her on the temple and peer down to see what she's drawing. It's a dress. It look like a wedding dress. I raise my eyebrows at her expectantly.

"It's not what you think?" she says with a small laugh. "Isabelle asked me to sketch something for her, so she can make it for one of her sewing classes, but I think I may have gotten carried away. I'm not sure Isabelle quite had this in mind." she adds. "I probably need to go with something simpler."

"I think you'd look incredible in that. When we get married, I think you should get someone to make that for you." I tell her with a smile.

"Confident are we?" she teases. I nod my head and take the sketch pad and toss it on the floor before climbing on the bed and lying my head in her lap. She immediately begins running her fingers through my hair.

"Very." I say smiling up at her. She rolls her eyes but she's smiling too. I love my girl.

Friday has arrived and the girls have whisked Clary off to get her ready for her birthday night. I brought her breakfast in bed this morning and gave her a small gift. My bigger gift is coming tonight. I pat my pockets for the millionth time and run my hands through my hair as we wait.

"Jesus, Jace. You look like you're about to hurl. Stop worrying." Jordan, the ever honest friend that he is, says to me. "You better calm down or you'll give yourself away."

I know he's right. I just want everything to be perfect. I take a few calming breaths and then I hear the girls coming down the stairs. We all stand up and watch as the girls come into the room and go to their significant other. Clary is the last to come in and is fussing with the hem of her skirt. She looks up and her eyes meet mine and I feel like I could fly. She's breathtaking. We all make our way to the stretch limo, Aline's dad got for us so we can all ride together and head to the bar.

When we arrive, Aline leads us inside where we find the middle of the floor reserved just for us, facing the stage. There are other people inside and they all look at us with smiles and choruses of happy birthdays. A huge banner sits over our table that reads Happy 21st Birthday Clary! on it. I watch Clary's face as we walk in and take everything in and see how her eyes shine with happiness. I hug her closer as we walk to our designated table and she beams at me.

We spend the next few hours talking and Aline bought us some celebratory champagne. I don't drink anymore, but tonight I resolve to drink just one glass to celebrate my girl's birthday. I can't believe it's been four years since we threw her that surprise birthday party in the institute's garden. I was already in love with her then but everything was so uncertain then. We didn't know how long she'd be around and I continue to thank God the she is still here and living the life she deserves.

All of our friends take turns singing to her and even some strangers sing to her as well. Isabelle raps, Simon performs the robot while singing, making us all double over in laughter. Maia and Jordan sing a duet, Alec dances for her, but doesn't sing, and Magnus sings the corniest song I've ever heard and makes Clary laugh so hard she has tears streaming down her face. Aline and Brett also sing even though they are horribly off key. Brett being slightly better than Aline. After a while, we watch others sing and Clary turns to me.

"You're the only one who hasn't sang to me tonight. Well with the exception of Alec. Do I ask you to sing to me too much?" she asks pouting a little bit. I laugh at her assumption and lean in to kiss her pouty mouth.

"You know I love to sing to you. Do you want me to go up there now?" I ask and watch her eyes light up with excitement.

She nods her head and I get up and kiss her on the lips before I take the stage. I take a deep breath and blow it out before turning back to face the audience. The music starts playing and I stand up straighter and look into Clary's eyes. This is it….

**I'm standing, here in this moment,**

**watching, tomorrow unfolding, so quietly, **

**it captures me and takes me back to an innocence.**

**I barely remember, a hopefulness, our first time together.**

**I'm trembling, I'm holding in, but you reach right to me,**

**see straight through me.**

**And everything, I thought never would now is happening.**

**A brand new horizon is opening. **

**I'm hoping we, don't miss this moment.**

**You showed me how, life is worth living.**

**I have no doubt, it's all about giving.**

**I'm reaching out, right here right now,**

**don't you see, I'd give you everything.**

**The first step is always the hardest, but worth it.**

**From the day that we started we've overcome,**

**we've joined as one.**

**And the stairs are winding, but we keep on climbing.**

**And everything, I thought never would now is happening.**

**A brand new horizon is opening. **

**I'm hoping we, don't miss this moment.**

**You showed me how, life is worth living.**

**I have no doubt, it's all about giving.**

**I'm reaching out, right here right now,**

**don't you see, I'd give you everything.**

I take the microphone and walk down the steps of the stage, never taking my eyes off Clary. I walk up to her and stand before her. I reach out and caress her cheek with my fingertips.

**And everything, I thought never would now is happening.**

**A brand new horizon is opening, **

**for you and me.**

**Don't you see, I'd give you everything?**

I drop to my knees and stare up at her and pull out the ring from my pocket. Her eyes are shining in tears and her hand covers her mouth. I gently pull her hand away from her face.

"Clary?" my voice cracks with the emotion I'm feeling and I clear my throat. "I have loved you since the first time I saw you. Words cannot describe the depth of my feelings for you. Saying 'I love you' simply isn't enough, but I do. So very much. Nothing will make me happier than to marry you. Will you make me the happiest man and be my only?"

Clary's smile stretches wide across her beautiful face. "I would love to be your only. Forever…. Yes I will marry you!"

I stand up and pull her up with me and hug her close and bury my face in her neck. She wraps her arms around my neck tight and I can feel her shaking with happy tears. I wipe my eyes and move my lips to her ear. 'Happy Birthday, baby." I whisper.

She pulls back and then I notice everyone is clapping and cheering for us. All of our friends take turns hugging us and congratulating us.

"Sweetheart, I'm so happy for you."

We turn and see Clary's mom and her boyfriend Luke. She's smiling with tears in her eyes.

"Mom!" Clary launches herself in her mother's arms and they hug for a while. And then Jocelyn pulls me to her and hugs me tightly.

"How did you know?" Clary asks as she moves back into my arms.

"Jace asked for my blessing even though he had it years ago. He told me he planned on asking you tonight so here we are." Turning to me, Jocelyn smiles. "It was a beautiful proposal, Jace."

"Thank you."

We sit and Isabelle and Aline carry out a gigantic cake with 21 candles lit all over it. We all sing Happy Birthday to her and she blows out her candles.

"I hope you made a really good wish." I tell her when I pull her close.

She looks up at me and stares into my eyes. "I already have everything. There's nothing more to wish for that you haven't already given me."

I swallow hard and it takes all my self-control not to cry. "I will do whatever I can to give you what you want."

She smiles and looks down at her hand and watches the light catch in the diamond ring I placed on her finger.

"This ring is beautiful, Jace. I love it." she says smiling at it.

"I'm glad you like it. It was my mother's ring."

She looks at me and frowns. "Are you sure you want me to have this, Jace? This should stay in your family. It's all you have left of her." she says sadly.

I shake my head and smile. "Baby….don't you see? You are my family now. My mom would've loved you and I want you to have it. And maybe one day, if we have a daughter, you can pass it down to her."

"Oh, Jace….I love you so much! I can't wait to start our life together." she says as she holds me tight.

"I can't wait for that either, baby." This was one of the best days of my life.

~o.O.o~

**Jace:**

Clary and I spent the weekend after her birthday lying in bed and talking about our wedding and our future. We've decided to wait to get married until we're done with school, so just a little over a year. In the meantime, we will begin looking for a new place to live, but we're not in a hurry to do it. I asked Clary to help me with the guitar lessons and she agreed.

Today, after class, Clary and I are going to Mrs. Blackthorn's house to meet her son, Julian. I'm a little nervous, but with Clary with me, I know everything will be okay.

We arrive at a big house in a quiet neighborhood in the city. The neighborhood is tree lined and the houses are large but not over the top.

"I love this neighborhood." Clary says as she looks around. "This would be perfect to raise a family." she adds shyly.

"I think so too. Maybe one day, we'll be coming to our own home here." I reply smiling brightly at her. She smiles back and we walk up the walk together to the door. I ring the bell and a few seconds later the door opens.

Mrs. Blackthorn stands in the doorway with a broad smile on her face. "Jace! Thank you so much for coming."

"Mrs. Blackthorn, this is my fiancé, Clary. I thought she could help me out." I tell her. She smiles at Clary and reaches out a hand to her. Clary takes it and Mrs. Blackthorn says, "It's nice to meet you, Clary. Please come in. Julian!" she calls out when we enter the foyer.

15 year old, Julian comes down the stairs holding a guitar. He eyes me and then Clary before smiling a little.

"Julian, this is Jace and Clary. This is Julian and his guitar. I tried to teach him piano, but he insists that he will be cooler playing the guitar." she says with a laugh.

Julian rolls his eyes and Mrs. Blackthorn leads us to the sitting room. "I hope you both can stay over for dinner. My husband will be home soon and he would love to meet you."

I look at Clary and she nods. "That would be great Mrs. Blackthorn." I tell her with a smile.

"Please call me Ana, Jace." she remarks and walks into what must be the kitchen. I turn toward Julian.

"Okay, let's get started." I say taking my guitar out of the case. For the next hour, Clary and I show Julian the correct finger positions and the chords. Just as we finish up, the front door opens.

"Ana! I'm home!" a male voice call out.

"In the kitchen! Dinner's almost ready. We have guests tonight. They're with Julian in the sitting room." Ana tells her husband.

A tall man with white blonde hair walks in to the sitting room and gasps when he sees us. I furrow my brows and see he is staring at Clary in awe. I look at Clary and she's frowning at the man.

"Jocelyn." he whispers. He seems to gather himself and clears his throat. "Hello. I'm Valentine Blackthorn."

"Dad, this Jace and Clary. They're giving me guitar lessons." Julian says not noticing his father's strange behavior. He has yet to take his eyes off of Clary and I'm not liking it at all.

"Clary. You're Jocelyn's daughter?" he asks her.

"Yes. You know my mother?" she asks with confusion on her face. I look between them and see many emotions crossing Mr. Blackthorn's face.

He nods his head a little. "I…I knew her a long time ago. I haven't seen her in many years." he admits.

"Oh, so you must've gone to school with her then." Clary says smiling slightly.

"Yes, I uh…knew her from school. You look very much like she did back then." he says still studying her closely.

"I get that all the time." Clary replies and turns to me. Mr. Blackthorn turns to me for the first time.

"Jace, right?" he holds a hand out to me and smiles. I shake his hand and nod my head. Ana arrives in the doorway and announces dinner. We all follow her to the dining room and sit down. We serve ourselves and begin eating.

"Jace, you introduced Clary as your fiancé. When is the wedding?" Ana asks me and out of the corner of my eye, I see Mr. Blackthorn cough.

"Not until after we graduate. We just got engaged last week, on Clary's birthday." I say smiling over at Clary.

"You're birthday was last week?" Mr. Blackthorn asks Clary.

"Yes, it was Friday. I turned 21." she answers. Mr. Blackthorn seems nice but I have an uneasy feeling about him. After finishing our meal, Clary and I gather our things to leave. Julian says he's looking forward to the next lesson and climbs the stairs. Ana and Mr. Blackthorn walk us to the door.

"Thank you dinner tonight." Clary tells Ana. "It was nice meeting you both." she adds. I agree and we walk down to the car. I still feel uneasy for some reason, but Clary doesn't seem worried so I let it go.

~o.O.o~

**Clary:**

A few days after going with Jace to teach his guitar lessons, I met mom for lunch. I haven't seen her since my birthday. I walk into the café and spot mom sitting at the table already.

"Hey mom." I say as I walk up to the table and sit down.

"Hey sweetheart. How was school today?" she asks as I grab the menu to look over it.

"It was fine. How's the gallery?"

"Great. Busy, which is good. How's my future son-in-law?" she asks with a smile.

I can't contain my smile. "He's perfect. Oh! He's doing guitar lessons. One of his instructors asked him to teach her son guitar. I went with him the other day and his dad came home and called me Jocelyn. He said he knew you from school. Small world huh?" I tell her as I take a sip of my water.

"Wow. What's his name?" mom asks intrigued as to who would remember her from that long ago.

"Valentine Blackthorn. Do you remember him?" I smile as the waiter comes over to take our orders. I order my food and look at mom. Her face has drained of color and she looks sick.

"Mom? Are you okay?" I touch her arm and she flinches.

"Uh…I'm not feeling well. I…I need to leave." She gets up hastily and looks around disoriented for a second and then she looks back at my bewildered face. "I'm sorry sweetheart. I need to go. I'm so sorry." she says and rushes out of the restaurant. I stare after her. The waiter stands awkwardly by the table.

"Um, please cancel my order and I'll take the check for the drinks." I tell him. He nods and walks off. What is wrong with mom? Is she sick? I dig my phone out and almost call her, but decide to wait a little while before I do. Instead I call Jace. He picks up on the second ring.

"Clary? Are you alright?" he asks a little frantic.

"I-I don't know. No I mean I'm fine….I'm just-never mind." I sigh. "I shouldn't have called you. I forgot you're in class. I'm sorry, Jace."

"Baby, if you need me, I'll be there. What's going on?" he asks gently.

I tell him about meeting mom and how she left suddenly. He tells me to wait there and he'll pick me up. I wait for about 15 minutes before I see him jogging up to the door. I get up and meet him at the entrance and he engulfs me in his strong arms. I sigh in contentment.

"Thank you for coming for me. I don't know. I just feel like something's wrong." I tell him as I lie my cheek on his chest. He strokes my hair.

"Let's go home and we'll try calling your mom and see if she's okay. Come on." he says and kisses me on the head. I let him lead me to the car and drive me home. My mind still on my mom.

When we get home, Jace fixes me some hot cocoa and takes me outside to the fire pit. We sit together on the loveseat.

"Maybe she knows Mr. Blackthorn and they were more than just friends back in the day. Maybe it was a bad break up or something." Jace says trying to come up with an explanation.

I shrug. "Maybe."

We sit for a while longer until Magnus comes out and sits across from us. "Hey biscuit. Your mom is here and she looks awful. Is everything alright?" he asks patting my knee.

I smile at his sweetness. "I don't know. I guess I better go and find out." I say standing up. I look down at Jace and he nods, knowing I need this moment alone with my mom. I walk back into the house and into the living room. Mom is sitting on the couch twisting her fingers together, a gesture I recognize when she's nervous.

"Mom?" I ask when I come in. She shakily gets to her feet and gives me a weak smile. "What's going on?"

"Sweetheart….there's someone I want you to meet. I think Jace should come with us." she says anxiety clear in her face. I nod confused and go back to get Jace.

"Jace? Can you come here, please?" I ask from the doorway. In a flash, he's by my side looking at with such concern. I shrug. "Mom says I need to meet someone and you should come with us." I explain. He nods and takes my hand sliding his fingers between mine and giving them a squeeze.

"Okay, let's go."

We meet mom at the door and get in the car with her. She drives in silence. I glance at her from time to time wondering what in the world is going on. When the car stops, she turns to me.

"Clary….I should've prepared you for this somehow." she says in a shaky voice.

"Mom? You're scaring me. What's wrong?" I ask feeling panic settle into my bones. She shakes her head and climbs out of the car. Jace and I scramble out and follow her inside a park we've parked at.

As we enter, I see Mr. and Mrs. Blackthorn. Confused, I look at Jace. He seems just as confused as I am.

"Hello Clary and Jace." Mrs. Blackthorn greets when we stop in front of them. We both nod our greeting back to her and look at my mom.

"Clary, I would like you to meet Valentine Blackthorn. You're biological father."

**Hmmm...a new twist. What do you guys think? Let me know and review. Was the chapter rushed? Was the proposal any good? Thanks to my good friend m1129 for always helping me out when I need it. You are awesome!**

**Until next time. . . .**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hi people! First of all I wanted to say how sorry I am for not updating in two weeks. It's been crazy busy and I have had very little time to write. Secondly, I wanted to explain why Valentine is a Blackthorn and not a Morgenstern. Clary's dad was not really going to be in this story when I first began writing it, and Jonathon Morganstern was her stalker so when Clary's dad's story started forming in my head, I couldn't make him a Morganstern because Jonathon was most definitely not Clary's brother in this story. So I made Valentine a Blackthorn (still a name from the original series). Hope this clears up anyone questioning the whole name thing. Anyway - on to the chapter!**

**Enjoy!**

**All characters and music belong to someone else except the ones I make up. :)**

**Chapter 16:**

**_Chapter Songs:_**

_Between Us by Peter Bradley Adams_

_This Time Tomorrow by Trent Dabbs_

_Coming to Terms by Carolina Liar_

_Only You by Matthew Perryman Jones_

**Clary:**

I feel the breath whoosh out of my lungs and my knees go weak. I feel my head shaking back and forth. Jace slips his arm around my waist and holds me to his side.

"Clary?" mom asks uncertainly. I look at her and then at the man standing in front of me. How can this be? He seemed so nice the other day at his home. Not the man I have envisioned to be my father after all of these years. The man who abandoned my mother when she needed him the most. The man who didn't want us.

"Clary. I've waited so long to meet you." Valentine Blackthorn says to me.

"Did you know? The other day, at your house? Did you know who I was?" I ask with anger in my voice.

"I – yes. As soon as I saw you, I knew." he says timidly, unsure of how I will react. I realize I'm breathing heavily. I don't know what to say or how to feel about this. I glance at Mrs. Blackthorn and she gives me a sympathetic look. I turn my gaze to Jace who is eyeing me with worry.

"Clary. Why don't we all sit down?" We sit at the picnic table and sit for a beat in silence. "Clary received a full art scholarship and is one year away from graduating." My mom fills in the heavy silence.

"That's wonderful. She must take after you, Jocelyn. You were always drawing and painting if I remember correctly." Valentine replies.

"Yes, but I don't know where she gets her musical talent from. She plays piano, guitar, and the cello. She sings like an angel." mom proudly states.

"Mom. Stop." I don't want to hear anymore.

"I thought we could share some of your accomplishments, sweetheart." mom says hesitantly.

"Okay. Sure. Let's share….he should know. But he should know it all. Why don't we tell him about how I was born premature and you had to take care of a sick baby all on your own. Or how you had to work two jobs to pay for my medical expenses and treatments because my kidneys were too weak to work right. Or how you had to eventually home school me because I was too sick to attend regular school between hospital stays. Or how you had to leave me to stay at a treatment center because after one kidney failed the other one was too weak to work on its own and I needed daily treatments to stay alive. Oh and the kicker….the time you were called in to tell me goodbye because I was minutes away from dying right before your eyes. All of those times you were alone because he didn't want us." I spit out. I feel Jace pull me closer to his side.

"I can't tell you how sorry I am for the mistakes I've made. I have never regretted anything more than when I wasn't there for you and your mother. My family would've cut me off completely if they knew I had gotten someone pregnant at the age of 19. I needed the job my father was offering to me. I know there's nothing I can say that will excuse my behavior or gain your forgiveness, but I would like to somehow be involved with your life, Clary." Valentine says. I try not to look at him, but his voice brings my eyes to his.

"Clary." mom says gently. "I think your feelings are clouded because of me. Valentine and I were not ever together. I mean, we were never exclusive with each other, never in a relationship. When he contacted me all those years ago wanting to see you, I was being selfish and didn't want to share you. I'm so sorry sweetheart. Now's your chance to get to know him and his family."

His family. Julian. Julian is my fucking brother. I have a little brother. I can't believe this is happening right now. "I think I need to go." I take a deep breath and look at Jace who is looking back at me with so much concern it hurts. "I think I need to go." I repeat and start walking towards the street. I feel Jace catch up to me but he doesn't say anything. He doesn't try to touch me and I silently thank him for just letting me be but being here for me as well. I feel as if I might break in a million pieces if someone were to touch me right now.

After walking for a while, I finally stop and sink down to the ground and pull my knees up to my chest and rest my head on my knees. Jace sits beside me and I roll my head to the side and look at him.

"I don't know how to feel about this. I feel so many things at once and I'm completely overwhelmed." I whisper.

He turns to me and tucks a piece of hair behind my ear. "I think that's normal. There were so many emotions going on back there, I think we're all overwhelmed at the moment." he says and takes my hand in his.

"All my life, I wondered what he looked like. What he sounded like. Sometimes I would draw him, but I never could get the face right. He was just a faceless man that was out there somewhere. Now he's here. I'm still so angry at him for not wanting me, but now he does. How do I get past 21 years of feeling that way?"

"I don't know, baby. I wish I could help you, but I will be here for you. Whatever you decide to do, I'll be right here beside you. Always."

"I know you will. I love you so very much, Jace. Will you take me home? I just want to go home and lie down with you and I don't want to think about this anymore tonight." He nods and pulls me up with him.

We walk home with me tucked in close beside him.

It's been days since that meeting in the park. I haven't spoken to my mother but I know Jace has. He told her I needed some time to figure things out. I still haven't figured them out.

I sit up against the headboard strumming my guitar and humming to myself lost in thought. The door opens and Jace walks in and sits beside me and smiles. I stop playing and lean over to kiss him chastely on the mouth.

"Hi." I say softly.

"Hey, baby." He takes my hand in his and strokes his fingers across my palm. "I'm supposed to go to the Blackthorn's for Julian's lesson. I don't want to go over there if you don't want me to. I'm sure Mrs. Blackthorn can find someone else to give him lessons." he says.

I frown. "If you want to do the lessons, you should keep doing them. I think he'll learn so much from you, Jace. You're so good. You should go, really." I tell him sincerely. "Will you ask Mrs. Blackthorn something for me? Will you ask her if Julian knows? About me?" I add. I don't know why I want to know that but I do.

"Of course. I'll be back soon. I love you, Clary." he tells me and kisses me twice on the mouth and then on the forehead. He leaves me to my thoughts.

Jace returns later to me fixing us something to eat in the kitchen. He comes up behind me and wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me to his chest. I turn in his arms and look up at him.

"I asked her about Julian and he knows. They told him after that day in the park. He asked me about you." he tells me. I feel my breath hitch.

"What did he say?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

"He asked if you were going to come back with me and he asked if he could see you." His eyes bore into mine. Tears sting my eyes. I take in a shaky breath.

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him I didn't know if you were coming back with me and I told him I would ask you about seeing him. He really wants to see you again, baby." Jace pulls me tighter to him and I feel my arms go around his neck and I bury my face in his chest.

"I'll go with you next time. I'll go with you and see him. Was _he_ there?" I ask uncertain if I really want to know.

"No, Ana said he was working late."

"I'll go and see Julian but I'm not ready for _him_ yet." I nod my head as I say this. I will accept Julian but I need more time when it comes to Valentine.

"Anything you need, baby, you know I'll give it to you." Jace says into my neck where his face is nuzzled.

A few days later Jace and I are walking up the Blackthorn's walk to Julian's guitar lessons. Jace knocks on the door and Ana opens it with a relieved smile on her face.

"Clary, Jace, please come in." She shuts the door and turns to me. "Thank you for coming, Clary. Julian really wants to get to know you."

I nod and squeeze Jace's hand for support. She leads us into the same room we were in last time. Julian stands from the chair he was sitting in. Ana quietly excuses herself and Jace pulls me over to the couch.

"Hi, Clary." he says, his voice shaking a little.

"Hi. Um-" I take a deep breath and blow it out. "This is kinda crazy, huh?"

"It's all kinds of crazy." He stares at me and shakes his head. "I mean, you're my sister. I have a sister." he says unbelievably.

"I know. I have a brother. I knew he had a son, but I never in a million years thought I would ever meet him. I never thought I would ever meet my dad either." I tell him honestly.

"Did you ever think about me?" he asks uncertainly.

"Yeah….sometimes. I thought about both of you." I admit. I study him, trying to see some resemblance to me and it seems he's doing the same to me. It's in the shape of his eyes that I see myself. These must be the same as our dad.

"Are you going to come with Jace from now on?" he asks and it sounds hopeful.

"I don't know. I never planned on coming more than a couple of times even before all of this." I answer and I see disappointment in his eyes.

"Will you come? I'd like to see you and maybe get to know you better." he replies, hope returning to his face.

"I'd like to get to know you too. I'll come if you want me to. Now let's get started with your lesson." I tell him with a smile. He beams at me and Jace takes over for the next hour. After the lesson, we talk for a little while and I have to admit it's nice. Julian is a great kid. We make plans for him to come over to our house to hang out and meet our friends and then we leave before Valentine gets home. I know I need to see him and we really need to talk, but I just don't know what to say.

The next day, I decide I need to talk to my mom first. I show up at the gallery and see her at the desk pouring over paperwork. I take a deep breath and approach her. She looks up when I stop in front of her desk.

"Clary!" Relief evident in her voice. "I'm so glad you're here."

"Mom, I need to talk to you. I need you to tell me the whole story about you and Valentine because I can't wrap my head around all of these feelings I have about him. I need to know so I can decide to move on or let him in." I tell her as I take a seat in the chair in front of her desk.

Mom nods her head and gets up to close the gallery and lock the door before sitting down beside me in the other chair. "Alright, I'll tell you." She takes a deep breath and glances at me. With a sigh, she begins.

"We met our senior year of high school. We had mutual friends and we all just hung out all the time. I wasn't particularly close to him, but he was around a lot. After high school, we all went to college and our group kinda split up. Valentine and I ended up at the same school so we hung out still and became better friends. Sometimes we would go to parties together and we ended up doing things a few times." My mother's face flares red and I imagine I look the same. "We never dated, just hooked up sometimes. When I got pregnant, I was devastated. I told Valentine and he freaked out. He explained to me about his father and the family business was supposed to be his one day, but they would cut him off if he told them about me and the baby. I told him I understood and he ended up transferring schools and I never saw him again. I couldn't bring myself to tell you that I got pregnant after a drunken party. I shouldn't have let you believe that he walked out on me. It was a mutual decision. When he called years later and wanted to see you, I didn't want him to know you. I told him no and he kept on for months after, but each time I told him no. I told him he had no parental rights to you and his name wasn't even on the birth certificate. He stopped calling after that. I felt so bad but not enough to change anything until he called again recently and told me he met you. I was shocked. I realized then you needed to meet him and he needed the same. So here we are…."

I sit in silence for a minute, processing the story I just heard. "My whole life, I always thought you and he were in love and he didn't want me so he left you because he didn't want to be a father. I had no idea that I was a drunken mistake between people who were never even in a relationship." I feel numb inside and I wish Jace were here right now.

"Clary, sweetheart. You were never a mistake. And Valentine and I cared for each other. We were good friends. You are the best thing that's ever happened to me. I wouldn't change that happening because I got you. Please don't think you were a mistake." mom pleads. I need to change the subject.

"I saw my brother yesterday."

"You did? How'd that go?" she asks curiously.

"Fine. We're going to get to know each other."

"That's wonderful!" mom exclaims. "What about your father?"

I knew she was going to ask that question. "Well, after talking with you today, I think I probably need to at least give him a chance. I've hated him for so long and I don't know how to feel anything else for him."

"Clary. I'm so sorry for painting that picture in your head." mom says sincerely.

I nod and we get up and hug. "I love you sweetheart. Always."

When I get home, I go straight to my room and look for my phone. When I find it, I sit down on the bed and stare at it for a while. I hear everyone downstairs in the kitchen and living room, but I don't go down to join them. I doubt Jace even knows I've come home. I dial the Blackthorn's number and listen to the rings. On the third ring someone picks up. It's him.

"Hello?"

"Um, hi." I clear my throat. "I….it's Clary."

"Clary. I've been hoping to hear from you."

"Yeah, um….I needed some time to figure things out. I talked to mom and I think I'm ready to meet you now." I release a breath I didn't know I was holding.

"Okay. I'll meet whenever you want. I'll clear my schedule. This makes me so happy." I can clearly hear how much this means to him. I squeeze my eyes shut to keep the tears from falling.

"Um, Jace is giving Julian's lesson Thursday and I told Julian I would come with him. We could talk then, I guess. That way you don't have to cancel anything on my account."

"Clary, please understand, there is nothing more important than meeting you, but if you want to meet at the house, that's perfectly fine too."

"Okay. I guess I'll see you Thursday."

"Thursday. And Clary? Thank you. You don't know how much this means to me. I'll see you soon."

"Bye." I hang up and swallow the lump in my throat. Jace walks in while I'm still sitting there holding my phone.

"I didn't know you were back. Baby? Are you okay?" he rushes to my side and I fall into his chest and let the tears slip from my eyes. It takes a minute before I can answer him.

"I just talked to Valentine. I'm going to see him on Thursday after Julian's lesson. Mom shed some light on their past and I feel like I need to see him now." I explain.

"What did you mom say?" he asks as he runs his fingers through my hair. I tell him the story she told me and he holds me the whole time.

I pull back and look at him. I reach up and take his mouth. I need his warmth right now. "Jace. I need you." I whisper against his mouth. He understands immediately and begins caressing my body with loving strokes. My shirt is the first to go and then his so we're skin to skin. He pulls my jeans off and then he takes his off. After lying me down on the bed, he crawls on top of me so I can feel his weight. I close my eyes and let him continue to worship my body. His mouth and hands touch every inch of my body. With every touch, I feel less pain. He knows exactly what I need. I feel an electric shock each time his mouth meets my skin. A white hot light flashes behind my closed lids and I shudder. He moves his mouth back to mine and he kisses my lips softly.

"I love you." he simply says as he joins our bodies. The connection I feel to him right now takes my breath away. We've made love many times but this feels stronger. Maybe it's the emotional turmoil I've been feeling for the past few days, but this is incredible. Jace rocks us back and forth slowly, kissing me and whispering his love for me over and over again. Just when I feel like I'm falling, I cling to him tighter and he wraps his arms around me and holds me close. We reach our release at the same time and I stare into his eyes as we catch our breath. I see so much love in his eyes. I wonder if he felt the same way I felt. He shifts our bodies so we are lying on our sides but he's still inside me, just like I like it.

"That was amazing, baby." he whispers putting a curl behind my ear. "I felt so much emotion from you. Are you alright?" he asks, his face full of concern for me.

I smile and caress his cheek. "I'm fine. I'm perfect now. I love you so much. Will you stay with me when I meet him?"

He places his hand on top of mine that still holds his face. "I'll be with you always. You never have to ask. You're my everything." He leans in and kisses me with his promise and all his love. With Jace by my side, I know I'll be able to do anything.

**I know, I know...it was shorter than usual but I that's all I could manage to write. I hope it wasn't disappointing and the next chapter is the meeting between Valentine and Clary. I'd like to thank my very good friend m1129 for putting up with me and encouraging me to keep writing! Thank you to all of you who review for me...they are also very encouraging so keep them coming!**

**Until next time. . . .**


	17. Chapter 17

**I'm finally back with an update. Sorry I am taking so long, but I just can't find the time to write as much as I would like to. The holidays are coming so maybe I can finish this story soon. I know this chapter has a lot of songs in it, hopefully not too many though! Thanks to all who are still reading and sticking with me. I appreciate you all!**

**Enjoy the chapter!**

**I do not own these characters or music or the lyrics to any songs used in this story!**

**Chapter 17:**

**_Chapter Songs:_**

_Los Angeles by Peter Bradley Adams_

_Hazy by Rosi Golan &amp; William Fitzsimmons_

_Syndicate by The Fray_

_Perfect for Me by Ron Pope_

_Giants by Bear Hands_

_You and Me by Lifehouse_

_Follow Through by Gavin DeGraw_

**Jace:**

I lie awake listening to Clary's even breaths as she sleeps curled up beside me. She's agreed to meet her father and wants me to go with her. She thinks she needs me to give her strength, but she's the strongest person I know. I wish she realized how resilient she is. Anyone who has gone through half of what she has in her life would probably break at some point, but not Clary. No, she just keeps going and faces things head on. She really is amazing. I can't wait to marry her!

We drive to the Blackthorn's in silence. I let Clary wrap her head around her thoughts and just hold her hand the whole way. I lead her inside and we give Julian his guitar lesson. When we are finishing up, Valentine walks in. Julian looks up and sees his dad and glances at Clary. He grabs his guitar and mumbles a goodbye to us before rushing out of the room. Valentine runs a nervous hand through his hair and gestures for us to sit back down on the couch.

"I can't thank you enough for agreeing to meet with me, Clary. I know this is difficult for you." he says quietly.

I glance at Clary and see her nod her head. "Well, after talking to my mom, I thought I should give this a chance." she says gesturing between the two of them. "I know now that you and mom were never together and you didn't abandon her like I always thought you did." she pauses for a minute and then continues. "I know you tried to see me when I was little. Did you…" she takes a breath, "did you just forget about me after that? Did you just give up when she said no? I'm sorry, I just….I don't know what to think about all of this."

"Clary, I thought of you every day. I admit, until I had Julian, I never knew what I missed out on with you. That's when I tried to make it right. Your mother denied me for months. No, I didn't give up on you, I just didn't know what to do. Jocelyn said my name wasn't even on the birth certificate. I had no rights as your father. If she didn't consent, I couldn't do anything about it. And she wouldn't bend. She wouldn't let me see you. But, God did I want to. I wanted you in my life, in my son's life. I am so sorry for all the years you thought I didn't want you."

Clary sits there for a few minutes processing everything. I squeeze her hand gently to remind her I'm with her. "Okay." she says so quietly I barely hear her. "We can get to know each other. I can put the past to rest."

The look on Valentine's face is one of pure joy. "That means so much to me. Thank you." He reaches over and takes her other hand and gives it a gentle squeeze. "Thank you." he whispers, his voice thick with emotion.

After composing himself, he clears his throat and turns toward us. "Can I ask you something that I have been wondering about?"

"Sure."

"The other day in the park you said you almost died and your mother was called in to say goodbye. What happened?" he asks timidly.

"I only had one functioning kidney at the time. My doctor sent me to live at a facility that could give me the medical treatment I needed daily. The place was ran by Jace's mom. That's where I met Jace." she says turning to smile at me. "I have an extremely rare blood type and they couldn't find a matching donor. Everyone was called in and told to say their goodbyes to me. Jace refused to let go, and it turned out that he shares my rare blood type and was a perfect match. He gave me his kidney and saved my life." I smile at Clary and lean over and kiss her on the temple.

Valentine lets out a deep breath. "That's quite a story. I can't imagine the pain your mother must've gone through at that time. I understand the significance of your relationship now. I wondered why you would be getting married so young, but I get it now. Thank you, Jace, for your sacrifice to save my daughter."

"It was never a sacrifice. I'd do anything for her." I tell him sincerely.

"Jace has saved my life more than once. He keeps saving me." Clary says while staring into my eyes. I know she's referring to Jonathon. She turns back to Valentine and continues. "You don't have to worry about me. Jace will always be here to protect me."

We continue to talk until Ana comes in to tell us dinner is ready. We all sit down and enjoy a nice meal together. I see Clary relaxing and it makes me feel better about everything in this situation. We agree to have dinner with them again after the next lesson. I take Clary home while she gets lost in her thoughts. Sometimes I wish I could get inside her head with her. When we go inside our house, she puts her small hand in mine and gives me a dazzling smile. I bring our entwined hands to my mouth and kiss the back of her hand.

"Thank you. For being there with me. For everything." she says softly. Her eyes are glowing and I almost choke from the emotion she makes me feel.

"I love you." It's all I can say. It's not enough. It's never enough. But it's all I can say right now.

"I know. I'm going to take a shower." she says and squeezes my hand.

"I'll make you some hot cocoa and bring it up to you." I tell her and kiss her on the cheek.

"Oh that sounds good. I'll be out in a few minutes." She turns and runs up the stairs. I go to the living room and sit down on the loveseat across from Jordan and Maia.

"Hey guys." I greet them.

"Hey buddy. How'd it go tonight?" Jordan asks sitting up and leaning his elbows on his knees.

"It was fine. I think they'll get past this and be able to have a real relationship. Valentine certainly wants it and I think Clary is coming around to it. We'll be having dinner over there after Julian's next lesson."

"How's the kid taking it? This must be hard on him too." Jordan asks.

"Julian is taking it well. I think he kind of hero worships Clary, although being almost sixteen, he'll never admit it. But I can see it in his eyes when he looks at her." I smile thinking about it.

"Kind of like the way you look at her?" Maia teases me. I roll my eyes but I have to admit she is pretty awesome.

"I'm going to take her some hot cocoa. See you guys later." I state and get up to make my girl some cocoa. I take the mug upstairs and pause outside our bedroom door. I head Clary singing softly. I open the door and see her on the bed, guitar in hand, singing a song I know well with her eyes closed.

_I watched you sleeping, quietly in my bed._

_You don't know this, but there's some things that need to be said._

_And it's all that I can hear, it's more than I can bare…_

_What if I fall and hurt myself, would you know how to fix me?_

_What if I went and lost myself, would you know where to find me?_

_If I forgot who I am, would you please remind me?_

_Oh…Cause without you, things go hazy._

I walk up to the bed and sit the mug down beside the bed and climb in behind Clary. She smiles and I begin singing as she plays.

**I watched you sleeping, quietly in my bed.**

**You don't know this, but there's some things that need to be said.**

**And it's all that I can hear, it's more than I can bare…**

**What if I fall and hurt myself, would you know how to fix me?**

**What if I went and lost myself, would you know where to find me?**

**If I forgot who I am, would you please remind me?**

**Oh…Cause without you, things go hazy.**

I kiss her on the neck and nuzzle up in her hair. I pull back and look at her. With our eyes locked on each other, we sing the rest of the song together.

**_What if I fall and hurt myself, would you know how to fix me?_**

**_What if I went and lost myself, would you know where to find me?_**

**_If I forgot who I am, would you please remind me?_**

_Oh…Cause without you, things go hazy._

"I'm not going anywhere you're not. You are my life, baby." I wipe the lone tear that streaks down her cheek. "Now, I think you need to drink you're hot cocoa before it gets cold and I want to talk about wedding stuff."

She laughs and sits her guitar down and picks up her mug and settles down in front of me between my legs. "You want to talk about wedding stuff, huh?"

"Yep. Like where you want to get married, how big you want it, set a date, you know stuff like that." I tell her and kiss her again on the neck because it's just too damn tempting.

She giggles. "You're really good at distracting me, Jace. But Isabelle and I are working wedding details, you're in charge of the honeymoon." She turns her head and kisses me under my chin. I smile imagining the honeymoon.

"That I can deal with. Hey, I almost forgot! I have to write a song for my final in my music class. Would you be interested in helping me?"

She sits up and turns her body and faces me. "Jace, I can't write songs."

"Yes you can. I've heard you. I think we'd make a great song writing team, don't you?" I smile a crooked smile that I know she can't deny.

"That's not fair." she says pointing a finger at me. "You know I can't think right when you smile at me like that."

I lean in and kiss her on the mouth, slipping in a little tongue. Pulling back with a smile, I say, "I know."

"Fine. I'll help you." she smiles and runs her hands through my hair. We spend the rest of the night working on this.

We work on the song for over a week and I have to admit, I love writing songs with her. I convinced her to sing with me and we recorded it on a cd. She's so good and it inspires me to write my own. I decide to write one and submit both of them in case my professor only wants me to be the one singing.

It's been a few weeks since Clary and I wrote a song together and I'm finishing up Julian's lesson. He's getting really good. Just as I put my guitar away, Julian clears his throat. I look over my shoulder at him and see he looks pretty nervous about something.

"What is it buddy?" I ask turning all the way to face him. He scratches behind his ear and shakes his head.

"How do you get a girl's attention without just going up to her and talking to her?" he asks, biting his lip anxiously. I smile and sit back down on the couch.

"Well, I like to use music to get the girl's attention. I play for Clary all the time and she loves it." He doesn't look convinced. "I'll tell you what. Why don't you come over Saturday and we'll hang out and play. I'll sing Clary a song and you can see for yourself how much girl's love that shit." I tell him. He smiles and agrees to come over and I grab my guitar and leave. Clary had some school things and couldn't come with me today so I'm not staying for dinner. At home, I tell Clary about Julian asking me about girls and she thought it was cute that he asked me.

Julian gets dropped off at our house Saturday afternoon. Everyone is home today and Aline and Brett are here as well. We grill out hamburgers and eat outside in the backyard. After dinner, the girls clean up and the guys get out the guitars and begin playing and messing around. Julian's skills are fast improving and he's able to play with us some. The girls join us and when everyone is settled, I sit up a little straighter and wink at Julian.

"A few weeks ago, Clary and I wrote a song together for my music final. She inspired me to write one of my own and I submitted that one as well. My professor loved both of them and sent them to a friend of his and had them recorded for me. He is sending them to a record producer to see if he's interested."

"Oh my God! Why didn't you tell me? This is big!" Clary slaps my arm and then pulls me in and hugs me tight.

"I wanted it to be a surprise but I couldn't wait any longer." I tell her and give her a chaste kiss on the mouth.

"I want to hear the song. Play for me." she bounces excitedly in her seat. I laugh and get situated. I glance at Julian and grin at him. I look back at Clary and begin playing.

**You sit in the bathroom, and you paint your toes.**

**I sit on the bed right now, and I sing you a song.**

**It's not always easy, but somehow our love stays strong.**

**If I can make you happy, then this is where I belong.**

**And I'd just like to say…. I thank God that you're here with me.**

**And I know you too well to say you're perfect. **

**But you'll see, oh my sweet love, you're perfect for me.**

**I know all your secrets and you know all of mine.**

**You're always here to hold me up when I'm losing my mind.**

**I wish that I was stronger, so that I had more to give.**

**I'll share everything I have and we'll find a way to live.**

**And I'd just like to say…. I thank God that you're here with me.**

**And I know you too well to say you're perfect. **

**But you'll see, oh my sweet love, you're perfect for me.**

**Even after all this time, nothing else I ever find.**

**In this whole wide world can shake me like you do.**

**It's true that something so sublime that there aren't words yet to describe.**

**The beauty of this life I made with you.**

**And I'd just like to say…. I thank God that you're here with me.**

**And I know you too well to say you're perfect. **

**But you'll see, oh my sweet love, you're perfect for me.**

**And I know you too well to say you're perfect. **

**But you'll see, oh my sweet love, you're perfect,**

**Oh my love I swear, you're perfect, yes I promise, you're perfect for me.**

As soon as I finish, Clary jumps into my lap and wraps her arms around me and cries softly curled up in my neck. Isabelle, Maia, and Aline are all wiping their eyes and sniffing. I raise my eyebrows to Julian and smirk. He looks around at all the girls and looks back at me in awe. Clary shifts and I look down at her and see she has tears in her eyes.

"Oh, Jace. I love you so much. That was beautiful. I can't believe you wrote that." she breathes. I smile and kiss her, deepening it just a little. I can't get carried away in front of her brother. When we break away, I stand up and tell her I'll be right back. I get up and go in the house signaling Julian to follow. When we get inside, I turn to him and throw my hands out.

"So, how was that?" I ask with a cocky grin plastered on my face. He rolls his eyes and then smiles.

"Okay, that was pretty good. I knew learning the guitar was way cooler than the piano." he pauses and then continues. "Will you teach me a song I can sing for someone?"

"Sure, buddy. We'll start next week." I tell him and clap him on the back.

"How will I sing it for her?" he asks suddenly.

"Well, you could do it at a karaoke place we go to all the time, but you'll have to get her there first. Do you have any friends that could make sure she goes?"

He thinks for a second and then nods slowly. "Yeah, I think I know how to get her there. Will you come too?"

"Oh, I wouldn't miss this for anything." I tease.

"Shut up, man." He shoves my shoulder and I laugh.

"There you boys are." Clary says coming into the kitchen. "What's going on?"

"Oh, just man stuff. Right, Julian?"

"Right. Uh, thanks Jace." he says and goes back outside to join the rest of our friends.

"What was all that about?" she asks as she wraps both arms around my torso and lies her head on my chest. I hug her back and rest my chin on her head.

"Your brother wants me to teach him a song to play for a girl. I told him girls eat that shit up and I proved it to him tonight."

"Jace!" she exclaims, slapping me on the chest. "You did not tell him that, did you?"

"Do you not love when I sing to you?" I ask with my eyebrows raised.

"Well, yeah, but that's different." she frowns.

"How is that different?" I challenge.

"It just is." she says and lies her head back down. "And thanks." she adds.

"For what?"

"For being there for my brother and for my song. I love you." she says tenderly. I kiss the top of her head and lean down to her ear.

"I love you, too, baby." I whisper.

For weeks, Julian and I have been working on his song and I think he's ready to give it a go. He's been practicing it so much that his fingers all have callouses to show his hard work. He's arranged for the girl to be at the karaoke bar and Clary and I are taking him. It's obvious how nervous he is by his constant pacing while we wait for Clary to finish getting ready so we can leave.

"Relax man. It's going to be great. You've got this." I try to encourage. He just nods and continues pacing. Clary comes down and we leave.

After getting to the karaoke bar, Julian looks around anxiously until he sees her. I follow his line of sight and see a pretty blonde walking in with a few other girls. They take a table near the stage and Julian lets out a breath. I bite my lip to keep the shit-eating grin off of my face. I nudge his shoulder and gesture to the stage with my chin. He nods and grabs his guitar. We watch him walk to the stage and turn toward the crowd. His eyes roam around the room before settling on me. I give him a nod and Clary squeezes my hand. He clears his throat and begins playing 'You and Me' by Lifehouse. He looks up and locks eyes on his girl and sings his heart out. All the practice has paid off, because he is rocking the song. I watch the girl and see her eyes widen and her mouth fall open slightly. She doesn't take her eyes off of Julian either. It's like everyone else has disappeared except the two of them. I wonder idly if this is what it's like when I play for Clary. I glance at her and see her watching Julian with a proud smile on her face. I turn back and watch Julian. His emotions are clear on his face and in his voice. He's knocking it out of the park. I look at the girl and see she has a soft smile on her face, while her friends keep looking from Julian to her and back. When he sings the last verse, the place erupts in cheers.

Julian steps off the stage and heads our way. Right before he gets to our table, the girl stops him.

"Hey." she says. "That was….you were really good up there."

"Uh, thanks. Um…I'm Julian." he stutters out.

"I know who you are." she says with a shy smile.

"Oh, um."

"Would you like to come sit with us?" she asks and points to her table behind her.

"Um, yeah. Just a minute." Julian turns to us and hands me his guitar. She comes up beside him and smiles at us. "This is Emma. This is my sister and her boyfriend." he introduces us.

"It's nice to meet you." she replies.

"I'm going to go sit with them for a while."

I smile a cocky smile. "Sure. We'll be here when you're ready to leave." I tell him and he nods and they turn and walk away. I look at Clary and she beams at me.

"I like her." she says and I just shake my head and we spend the rest of the night talking and laughing and of course spying on Julian.

**Well, there you go. How was it? Tell me what you think of Julian since we get to see a little more of him this time. Thank you to all who review and a special thanks goes out to my pal m1129 for your input and encouragement!**

**Until next time. . . . **


	18. Chapter 18

**Okay guys! Here is the end of the story and I hope you are all satisfied with the ending. I really enjoyed writing this story and I am so grateful for all the reviews I have gotten and to all the people who favorite/followed me and the story. Thank you all so much and I hope to start a new story soon. I already have some ideas floating around in my head. On to the end:**

**Enjoy!**

**Remember I own nothing!**

**Chapter 18:**

**_Chapter Songs:_**

_Keep Us by Peter Bradley Adams_

_A Message by Coldplay_

_When I Find You, I'll Find Me by Joshua Radin &amp; Maria Taylor_

_Be My Only by FM Radio_

_They Bring Me To You by Joshua Radin_

**Clary:**

The last few months have flown by. From getting to know my father and brother, graduating college, to preparing for my wedding. I can't believe it's finally here. I will be Jace's wife tomorrow! As I sit in front of the window in the Lightwood home, I think back on some things from the last couple of months. I smile remembering our engagement party that Isabelle insisted we have. All of our friends and families came to celebrate with us. I still can't believe the generous gifts they gave us to make our lives better. I think back to that day and remember what all they did for us.

_"__We are here to celebrate Jace and Clary's engagement and to give them some things that I hope they love." Isabelle announces once we've all eaten and are sitting around the table enjoying ourselves. Jace squeezes my hand and smiles at me._

_The first to stand up is Aline and Brett. They walk up to stand before us and smile. _

_"__I am so grateful you guys have come into my life. I know in high school I was not a very good friend to you Clary and yet you still were so nice to me. Welcoming me into your world, introducing me to Brett." she looks at him and smiles. "and for that I can't thank you enough. Brett and I have booked the Botanical Gardens for your wedding and reception. You guys deserve the best and you will put the flowers to shame when you walk down the aisle. We love you both." Aline says with tears in her eyes. _

_I stand up and hug them both and Jace kisses Aline on the cheek and shakes Brett's hand. Next to stand up is Alec and Magnus. _

_"__Jace, I have loved you since you came to live with us so long ago. You became my brother instantly and when Clary came into my life, she became my sister. You've been through so much separately and together and no one deserves happiness more than you two." Alec tells us._

_"__My biscuit….I knew the first time I met you that you were going to be extraordinary to our lives. Jace, I didn't really like you at first, but you've definitely grown on me. When my grandmother died, you guys were there for me and my family and I appreciate that more than you know. My family and I would like to express our thanks by providing all of the decorations for the wedding and reception, my mom will take all of the pictures and my dad would love to officiate. We love you both and wish you all the happiness you can bear." Magnus says pulling us up in a bone crushing hug. _

_Behind Magnus and Alec, stands Maia and Jordan. _

_"__We have nothing to contribute to your wedding, but we will both stand with you and be witness to your vows. We both love you like family and we are so glad to have been friends with you all these years." Jordan says earning us all a laugh. Jace stands up and man hugs Jordan. Maia grabs my hands and squeezes them._

_"__I will provide my services getting you ready. I'll do your hair for you." she says with a wink. I nod and thank them._

_Isabelle and Simon take their place and smile at us. _

_"__I have one of the most important jobs in this wedding. I will be your maid of honor and coordinate everything down to the tiniest detail. I will also help Maia get you ready by doing your make-up and making you so beautiful, you will bring tears to my brother's eyes." She smirks at Jace and continues. "I knew when Jace asked me to meet you that you were the one in his heart. I had never seen him so enamored before. You brought him to life and my family thanks you for that." she says smiling at both of us. We hug her and Simon before they walk back to sit down. _

_Maryse and Robert are next. Jace stands up before they can say anything and wraps his arms around them tightly. They stand there together like that for a few seconds before pulling away. Jace murmurs a thank you to them and Maryse wipes her eyes and clears her throat._

_"__Clary, when you came into my life, I never thought you would have such a profound effect on it. You gave your light to my son who needed it so much. You made our family stronger. I have never seen my children as happy as they are right now. You may not think you are to credit for this, but we are all better off knowing you. Robert and I would like to provide the food and drinks for the wedding. We love both of you and cannot wait to see what you two accomplish together." she concludes._

_We hug them both and before I know it, I am crying with Maryse. I wipe my eyes and see Ana and Julian come up to us. _

_"__Jace and Clary, you have just come into our lives, but I can tell from the things everyone has said about you that they are spot on. I will be responsible for the music at the wedding. I know some really good music students that would love the practice. We wish you the best." Ana tells us and hugs us both._

_Julian looks at Emma, who he has been dating since he sang for her at the karaoke bar, and looks back at us. "I want to tell you both thanks for everything" he says and gestures toward Emma. "I'm just going to come to your wedding and eat free food. Thanks for the invite." he says causing us all to laugh again._

_Luke comes up to us next and shakes Jace's hand and kisses me on the cheek. _

_"__You mean the world to me Clare-bear." A name he's called me since I was little. "I wish you all the happiness in the world and if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to call me."_

_"__Thanks Luke. That means a lot to me." I tell him and hug him hard. "Take care of mom for me." I whisper in his ear. He nods and pats me on the shoulder._

_Last to walk up to us is my mom and dad. They smile at us and look at all of our friends and family._

_"__We have something for these two, but we're going to have to take a little trip to give it to them." mom says with a sly grin. Jace and I look at each other confused, but follow everyone out the door. We take several cars and drive through town before stopping at an abandoned storefront. We climb out and follow mom and Valentine to the door of the store. I notice there are two doors to the building. Valentine produces a key from his pocket and opens one of the doors. We all walk inside and Jace and I look to my parents confused. _

_"__I think this side would make a fantastic art studio. It's big enough that you could give art lessons in the back over there." Mom says pointing out different areas. I look at her and try to comprehend what she's talking about. _

_"__This is mine?" I ask incredulously. _

_Mom chuckles and shakes her head. "Not just yours, sweetheart. Yours and Jace's." she says and nods to Valentine._

_"__Right through this arch is another area that would make an awesome music store. It's laid out the same so you can also provide music lessons, Jace." Valentine says as he leads us through the arch between stores._

_Jace and I look at each other in complete awe. I can't believe they are giving us a place to start our business. We turn to my parents with huge smiles on our faces._

_"__How? Why?" I don't even know what to say. Oh my God!" I sputter. _

_"__There's more." mom says before turning to climb the stairs at the back that I didn't even notice. We all climb the stairs and walk down a hallway to a door at the end. Mom pulls a key out this time and opens the door to a fully furnished apartment. It's huge! _

_"__There are three bedrooms here in case you expand your family. Hint hint! No pressure but I do want grandchildren one day. You can live here and work downstairs and the best part is that you can do all of these things together." she says with a smile._

_"__You guys. This must've cost a fortune. We can't accept this." I tell them and Jace agrees it's too much._

_"__Between, your mother and I, and Robert and Maryse, this is what we wanted to do for the two of you. Clary, I just got to meet you and in that short amount of time, I love you with all of my heart. I know this doesn't come close to making up for the twenty-one years I wasn't around, but I really wanted to do something special for you. And Jace, you saved my daughter. That I can never thank you enough for. I would be honored to help make your dreams come true." _

_"__Thank you. All of you. For everything today. For the party, everything you want to do for our wedding, your words and most of all your love for us. We are truly speechless. Thank you." Jace says to everyone who has gathered in our new living room. _

I shake myself from the memories of that day. Jace and I have been busy getting our stores ready to open and I have allowed Isabelle free rein over my wedding. I will be opening a painting studio where people come in groups or individuals and I show them how to paint something and they do all of it on their own. I will also have some paintings hanging up for sale. I've already booked a party of women who are coming in to paint a city scene. Jace will be selling different instruments and providing lessons on the side. He's using his inheritance to fund buying my supplies and his instruments.

Jace walks in and wraps around me from behind. I close my eyes, leaning back with a sigh.

"Hey baby." he says kissing along my neck. "What are you doing in here all alone?"

"Just thinking about everything and wishing it was tomorrow already so I can be your wife." I say turning around and facing him with a smile.

"I wish for that too." he says smiling widely. He leans in and brushes his mouth to mine. After pulling back to rest his forehead to mine, he adds, "I've come to take you to the rehearsal. Are you ready to go?"

"Yep. Just let me grab my bag and I'm all yours." I tell him as I pass him to get my purse. He grabs my wrist and pulls me back for another kiss.

"You are most definitely all mine, baby."

I giggle and place a chaste kiss on his waiting lips and grab my purse. He entwines our fingers together and we head out to the Botanical Gardens for the rehearsal.

When we arrive, Aline and Isabelle are running around barking out orders to everyone. Izzy grabs my hand and pulls me away from Jace and tells him to go stand by Alec.

We go through the ceremony and then we all go eat at the Lightwood house for dinner. This is where I will be staying with the girls. Jace and the guys are going home to the brownstone that we will be moving out of after our honeymoon. That is being planned by Jace. I can't wait to see where he'll be taking me.

As everyone gets ready to leave, Jace pulls me out to the garden. He holds me tight to him and hugs me. I feel him smile into my neck.

"I love you so much, you know that right?" he says, his voice thick with emotion.

I pull back and look into his eyes that are shining with unshed tears. I cup his face and kiss him.

"I know you do. What's wrong?" I ask concerned.

He shakes his head. "Absolutely nothing is wrong. I just feel so much right now, it's kind of overwhelming."

"I know what you mean. I'm overwhelmed too. But I'm so ready to be married to you." I tell him.

"I'm ready for that and I'm very ready for the honeymoon." he says wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. I laugh and pull him against me.

"Are you going to tell me where you're taking me?" I ask and grab his ass.

He laughs and shakes his head. "Not a chance. You'll just have to wait." he says with a kiss to my lips.

"Not even a hint?"

"Nope." He smiles and nuzzles his face in my neck and places small kisses all along my neck and behind my ear. I sigh in contentment and hold him a little tighter.

"I don't want to spend the night without you tonight." I whisper.

He pulls back and cups my face. "I know, baby. I don't want to either. After tonight, no one will be able to keep me from you."

I smile and lean up to kiss him but stop when I hear my name being called.

"Clary. Jace needs to leave now." Isabelle calls out to us. He groans into my neck and I giggle.

"Okay, Izzy. I'm leaving even though I don't want to." He wraps his arm around my waist and leads me back inside. We stop at the door and he kisses me long and passionately. I smile against his mouth.

"Bye baby. I love you. I'll be waiting at the altar for you." he says and kisses me again.

"I'll be the one in white. I love you, too." I tell him against his lips.

"Alright you two. That's enough." Isabelle says with her hands on her hips. I kiss Jace one more time and step back next to Isabelle. He stares at me for a couple more seconds before smiling widely and walking out the door. I heave out a sigh and look at Isabelle's amused face.

"Shut up." I tell her as she laughs and hooks her arm through mine and pulls me up the stairs.

~o.O.o~

**Jace:**

The guys and I spend the day hanging out before we need to get ready for the wedding. I've texted Clary all day to see how she's doing but Isabelle texted back the last time and said Clary was busy getting beautiful for me. I can't believe how lucky I am to be marrying Clary today. I can't wait to take her to the almost private beach for our honeymoon. I have booked 7 days at a secluded resort where we will be staying in a private bungalow with a small beach just for us. Isabelle packed for Clary, but truth be told, she's not going to need many clothes at all. I don't plan on getting dressed much while we're there.

It's finally time to get dressed in our tuxedos and make our way to the Botanical Gardens. My nerves are starting to appear but not from doubt. No, there is definitely nothing to doubt. I'm anxious to get to the part where I will see her walk down the aisle toward me.

My mom comes over to me and pulls me to her for a hug.

"I'm so proud of you son. You did well. Clary looks so beautiful." she says as she wipes a tear from her eye.

"You've seen her? How is she? Did she sleep okay?" I want to see her so bad. Mom chuckles and pats my cheek.

"You'll see her shortly. I love you." she says and leaves me to wait for my bride. I look back at Alec and he cups my shoulder. All my boys are up here with me. Alec, my best man, Jordan, Simon, and Brett. I look out at the guests being seated. To my mom and dad who are holding hands and talking quietly. To Ana and Emma who are sitting together right behind Clary's mom and Luke. The music changes and I stand up a little straighter. This is it. Aline walks down first, then Maia, and then my sister. All of them are in short black dresses, holding red flowers. Isabelle beams at me and I give her my smirk. The music changes again and I train my gaze toward the end of the aisle. I wish everyone would just sit down so I could see her sooner.

And then I see her. I suck in a breath when she comes into view. She is absolutely the most beautiful person I have ever seen. Valentine is on one side of her and Julian is on the other side. I know Clary was conflicted about Valentine walking her down the aisle but she decided he should be the one to do it. Clary looks so happy walking down with her father and brother. I can't take my eyes off of her. She hasn't looked up at me yet. I wish she would. I need to see her eyes. Just when I'm about to go crazy, she looks up and locks eyes with me. I feel my face split in a wide smile and hers does the same. I will never forget this moment as long as I live.

Clary stops in front of me and Valentine kisses her on the cheek and places her hand in mine. Clary breaks her gaze away from me and smiles at Valentine and Julian before they sit down next to Ana and Emma. Clary looks back up at me and I can't help myself. I lean down and kiss her on the mouth.

She smiles shyly at me. "You're not supposed to do that yet, you know…."

I grin at her. "I know. But you look so damn beautiful and I just couldn't wait."

Mr. Bane clears his throat and begins speaking.

"Family and friends, we are here today to witness the union between these two individuals as they become one. A wedding day is often a day when couples miss family members no longer with them. For Jace and Clary, there are family members whose memories they hold dear. And so it is that Jace and Clary present themselves to be married today…surrounded by the people they love the most." Mr. Bane says to the audience.

Turning to us, he states, "You both look to a shared future that includes raising a happy healthy family. That future also includes a richly lived life together. The years will come and go…you won't take each other for granted, you will laugh a lot, you will be the best parents you can be, and you will grow older and wiser together."

"A marriage, as most of us understand it, is voluntary and a full commitment. It is made in the deepest sense to the exclusion of all others, and it is entered into with the desire and hope that it will last for life."

I can't take my eyes off of Clary. She seems to be having trouble looking away from me. Mr. Bane directs his attention to Clary and she reluctantly tears her gaze from me to look at him.

"Clary, do you come here freely and without reservation to give yourself to Jace in marriage?"

"I do." Clary says looking into my eyes.

"Jace, do you come here freely and without reservation to give yourself to Clary in marriage?"

"I do." I say with conviction as I stare into her eyes.

"It is now time for Jace and Clary to recite their vows to one another." Mr. Bane declares and nods his head to me. I squeeze Clary's hands and swallow the lump in my throat that has suddenly formed.

"Clary….before I met you, I was a mess. I was headed down a dark path and I couldn't see any light. You shot through the darkness and made everything come to life for me. You made me want to be better, made me want a different life. You put me back together when I was so broken. The day I met you, was the day my whole world changed. You think I saved you, but you were the one to save me. You are my light and you shine for me every day. I promise to spend the rest of my life taking care of you, protecting you, and loving you. I will never take you for granted. I want to spend my nights by your side and my days with your heart. You are my heart and soul, my best friend, the love of my life." I take the ring from Alec and place it on her finger. I bring her hand to my mouth and kiss the ring I just placed there. "I love you." I whisper as tears pool in my eyes. I take a deep breath and blink the moisture from my eyes.

Clary wipes her face and moves her hands back in mine. "Jace….there are so many things I would like say to you. My life was ending and I had accepted that fact. But then you came into that life and I didn't want it to end just yet. You listened to my dreams and you gave every single one of them to me. You literally saved me more than once and I will forever be yours. You are my best friend as well as my love and I don't know which side of you I enjoy the most. I treasure each side, just as I will treasure our life together. Our souls are connected and will stay that way forever. I promise to stand with you always, encourage you, and love you. I will never take you for granted and I will do everything I can to make you proud to be my husband, as much as I am proud to be your wife. You are my first for everything and I want you to be my last for everything." Clary takes the ring from Isabelle and places it on my finger. She raises it to her lips and kisses it like I did hers. Tears stream down both of our faces. "I love you." she whispers back to me. I hear sniffling and I smile at the emotion everyone is feeling with us.

"Your wedding rings are the outward and visible sign of the inward and invisible bond which already unites your two hearts in love. May the wedding rings you exchanged today remind you always that you are surrounded by enduring love. Jace and Clary, you have just committed yourselves – one to the other – by the pledge of your marriage vows and the exchange of wedding rings. Your life is now one. May your life together be blessed with prosperity and good health. May you always share open and honest communication between each other. May you respect each other's individual talents and gifts and give full support to each other's professional and personal pursuits. May you cherish the home and family you will create together. May all the years to come be filled with moments to celebrate and renew your love. May your love be a life-long source of excitement, contentment, affection, respect, and devotion for one another. Now by the power vested in me, it is my honor and delight to declare you husband and wife. Jace, you may kiss your bride." Mr. Bane declares.

I smile so big, I feel like my face is going to split in half. I take Clary's face in my hands and mold my mouth to hers and kiss her with every emotion I am feeling right now. Excitement, relief, and above all, love. I end the kiss with several small kisses to her mouth. I stare into her eyes as everyone cheers and yells for us.

"We did it, baby." I tell her in awe. She gives me the most breathtaking smile and I kiss her again.

"Mr. and Mrs. Jace Lightwood!" Mr. Bane exclaims and we turn toward the crowd and see everyone filled with happiness for the two of us. I swoop Clary up in my arms and carry her down the aisle and out to the room Isabelle told us to go to after the ceremony. I set her on her feet and kiss her again but now with more passion than before since we're alone now.

"God….I can't believe you're my wife. I love you so fucking much!" I tell her as I pick her and swing her around.

She giggles and it's the most perfect sound in the world. "I know. It's crazy. Ahhh! I'm married!" she says laughing. I squeeze her tighter and bury my face in her neck and place a soft kiss there. A knock on the door breaks us apart.

The door opens and Isabelle and Alec come in with grins on both of their faces. "It's time to go the reception." Isabelle states.

"Okay." Clary says. She threads her fingers with mine and smiles up at me.

"We're all really happy for you guys and we love you." Alec says and hugs both of us, kissing Clary on the cheek. Isabelle agrees and hugs us as well. The four of us walk out and just before we enter, Isabelle asks us to wait until we're announced. She and Alec walk in and then we hear our names and I bring Clary in holding our clasped hands up between us. Everyone cheers and claps for us again. We make our way around to all the guests and get told congratulations over and over but I don't mind. We take pictures and then sit at our table with the bridal party and enjoy a delicious meal. I take a minute to look around at everyone and see them enjoying themselves. Toasts are given and then it's time for our first dance. I stand up and reach my hand down to help Clary up. I give Jordan a look and he nods and gets up to go on stage. I pull Clary to the center of the floor and everyone gathers around the edge to watch us. Maia hands me a microphone and I smile at Clary.

"Traditionally, the first dance is to be to a song that means something to both the bride and groom. Clary and I have a special song that means a lot to both of us. This is a song that we wrote together. We would like to sing it for you all while we dance together." I say into the microphone. I glance over at our parents and see them look at us with so much pride in their eyes. I move my gaze back to Clary and lean down to give her a kiss. Jordan and the band begins playing our song. "You ready to sing our song, baby?" I ask her softly. She grins and nods her head at me.

**_I can tell by the way you look at me, you need to be mine._**

**_We could sit watch the stars all night, till they disappear into the sky._**

**_I'm yours, and I know that you're mine._**

**_You're worth waiting for, you're worth waiting for…._**

**_Be my only, be my only, be my only…._**

**_Your hand in mine, I swear love speeds up time._**

**_And wind blows southern skies, like a lullaby._**

**_Wasn't hard to fall, your love's a wrecking ball._**

**_Watch your hands move along my face they trace all the lines I've lived._**

**_It isn't hard to love your scars cause that's everywhere you've been._**

**_I'm yours, and I know that you're mine._**

**_You're worth waiting for, you're worth waiting for…._**

**_Be my only, be my only, be my only…._**

**_Your hand in mine, I swear love speeds up time._**

**_And wind blows southern skies, like a lullaby._**

**_You're tearing down my walls, you're love's a wrecking ball._**

**_You're the one I'll compare all the others to, like sunny weather._**

**_You're the one that I'll always come back to….forever._**

**_Be my only, be my only, be my only…._**

**_Your hand in mine, I swear love speeds up time._**

**_And wind blows southern skies, like a lullaby._**

**_The good, the bad, I'll take it all._**

**_You're love's a wrecking ball._**

We stop moving and swaying across the dance floor when we finish singing and I lean down and kiss her deeply. Everyone claps for us and comes over to where we are standing on the dance floor.

"You guys wrote that song together?" Julian asks us when he gets closer to us.

"Yeah. Clary has a knack for song writing and we did that one together." I tell him.

"It was beautiful." Emma replies with a shy smile.

"Thanks. We're so glad you could come today, Emma." Clary tells her and Julian smiles at Emma. He looks at her the way I look at Clary. I hope they can overcome things together the way Clary and I have. After a while, we cut the cake, feed each other, dance some more and then throw the garter and bouquet. I toss the garter and Alec catches it causing everyone to laugh. Clary throws her bouquet and Aline catches it. Brett turns fifteen shades of red causing another round of laughs. It's finally time for me to take my bride on her honeymoon. We hug everyone good-bye, tell them thank you and run to the car. I help Clary in and wave one last time to our family and friends.

"We'll see you in a week." I tell them as I climb in the driver's seat. I start the car and throw it in gear. I reach over and take Clary's hand and bring it to my lips.

"You ready for this?" I ask her with a crooked grin.

"I've never been more ready for anything." she tells me and leans over and kisses me on the neck. I've never been more ready to start my life with Clary by my side every step of the way.

~o.O.o~

**_Epilogue:_**

**Clary:**

It's been ten years since I married my soulmate. Jace and I have been living an amazing life together. Oh, we have our ups and downs, but at the end of the day, I'm still completely in love with him and I don't ever want to be anywhere else. Our little business has thrived over the last ten years. Jace is still giving music lessons and selling instruments and I am still teaching painting classes and occasionally selling some paintings. Our family has expanded over the years as well. Our son, Max is seven years old and looks exactly like Jace. Our daughter, Sophie is four and has a mop of red curls like me. In addition to the kids, we also have Pippy, our dog and Tabby, our temperamental cat, as well as Guppy, Max's goldfish. So you can see how incredible my life has been.

Our friends are still around a lot. All are married and everyone has kids now too. We get together at least once a month to hang out. Mom and Luke finally tied the knot a few years ago. Max and Sophie have three sets of grandparents that treat our kids like royalty. Yes my life couldn't be any better. I look at my kids and my husband and thank God every day for them and for allowing me to live this life with them. I don't know what the next ten years will offer, but one thing I know for sure. I will be right here beside my wonderful husband, and my beautiful children. I plan on living a long and happy life. This is my happily ever after.

**The End**

**Well there you have it. The end of Save Me. How did I do? Let me know your thoughts about this chapter and/or the story. I would like to thank m1129 for ALL your support, encouragement, and suggestions. I couldn't have finished without you! Thanks so much everyone! Hope to be back soon with a new story so be on the lookout! :)**

**Until next time. . . . **


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